Are you concerned about the pain in your back getting worse from reaching and twisting to hit the ball when you play tennis? Have you tried everything you can to get relief but still have pain? At SportsPlus Physical Therapy & Chiropractic, our chiropractors are highly trained experts in treating all types of injuries related to tennis.
Tennis is one of the most popular sports played by people of all ages, both male and female, from recreational to competitive leagues. Our team will determine any limitations or restrictions that may interfere with you enjoying a tennis match this season.
Most tennis injuries of the upper extremities are overuse-type conditions, often due to a lack of spinal mobility, muscle weaknesses, and poor swing mechanics. In comparison, lower extremity injuries are often acute due to sudden changes of direction or abrupt stops.
Fortunately, our chiropractors are experienced in caring for tennis players of all levels and abilities. We understand the nature of the most common injuries and the specific demands on individual joints, soft tissue, and your body.
Let one of our chiropractors at SportsPlus Physical Therapy & Chiropractic assess your injuries and provide you with a comprehensive program to resolve any issue standing in your way of getting out on the courts again!
Request an appointment with one of our experts today!
What are the most common tennis injuries?
No matter what your issues are, we can offer solutions that work! Whether you are an experienced tennis player or relatively new to the game, our chiropractors can help. We understand the mechanics behind most overuse-type injuries and the common weaknesses and restrictions associated with acute injuries.
Understanding the interrelationship of the body parts is where our chiropractors excel. Chiropractic care is founded on the belief that dysfunction in one area of the spine will lead to problems in other body regions.
The interconnectedness of the body is sometimes called “regional interdependence.” This is a fancy way of saying if one area of the body has impaired function, it can (will) affect another location away from the problem site.
For example, lack of mid-back spinal mobility can lead to pain or injury to the rotator cuff muscles and, for some, even the elbow. Often, dysfunction in spinal motion results in compensatory patterns, which in turn makes you susceptible to overuse injuries due to faulty swing mechanics because of these compensations.
The most common type of upper-body injury is overuse due to the force/speed of swings and improper swing mechanics. Changes to your ability to swing properly will often lead to injuries to the muscles, tendons, or ligaments, including:
- Shoulder impingement
- Rotator cuff tears or tendinopathy
- Elbow sprains and strains (i.e., ulnar collateral ligament injuries and/or tennis elbow)
The lower extremity often experiences more acute injuries, especially the ankle, knee, and hip. The most common acute-type injuries include:
- Back pain (i.e., muscles strain or disc injury)
- Hip Sprain/strains
- Knee sprains (i.e., meniscus injuries or ACL tears)
- Ankle sprains
- Achilles tears and/or tendinopathy
Regional interdependence can also influence these acute injuries to the lower extremities. For example, research has shown that restrictions in the hip range of motion will increase the likelihood of injuring the knee joint, specifically ACL tears. In addition, research has shown that weakness in the hip abductors makes you more susceptible to ankle sprains.
Fortunately, our SportsPlus Physical Therapy & Chiropractic chiropractors are experts at identifying all the factors contributing to your problems. We will identify the root cause of your pain/injuries and help design the most advanced treatment strategies to resolve your issues so you can get back on the courts playing at your highest levels!
How can chiropractic care help?
Most tennis-related injuries result from overuse due to poor mechanics or acute injuries due to weaknesses or restrictions in the lower extremities. Our team has a good understanding of the biomechanics and forces of the tennis swing and how to diagnose and treat any musculoskeletal injury.
We will conduct a comprehensive evaluation on your first visit, including a thorough history and movement assessment. We will identify any limitation in your spinal and extremity joints’ range of motion and how you move in relation to one another.
In addition, we will test your strength, coordination, and balance to ensure we determine any weaknesses and/or limitations that may impair your ability to swing correctly and change directions properly.
This information will help us design a program tailored to your individual needs and consist of targeted mobility work, strength and endurance training, and any modification or correction of faulty movement patterns. Our goal is to help tennis players reduce their risk of injury and improve their overall performance to play at their highest level.
Our team will show you warm-up routines and in-season and/or preseason strength and conditioning programs that include education on enhancing performance so you can play knowing your body is prepared!
Request an appointment at SportsPlus Physical Therapy & Chiropractic today!
At SportsPlus Physical Therapy & Chiropractic, our chiropractors will design a tennis-specific plan to help you resolve any injury and prepare your body correctly to prevent future injuries. No matter what condition you are dealing with, we can help!
Call to schedule an appointment with one of our chiropractors today!
Sources:
- https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/chiropractic-in-depth
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6537459/
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2325967120973672
- https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2744
Tags: chiropractor, physical therapy clinic, chiropractors, physical therpist, Physical Therapy, Physical Therapist, Chiropractic care, Pain Relief
