Preventing Tennis Injuries

4th May 2015

Tennis is the quintessential British game that is enjoyed by many and viewed (in June and July) by many more.

Like any sport your ability to play tennis requires skill and training in combination with a good measure of physical and mental fitness. Again as with all sports the presence of injuries limits your ability and overall enjoyment of the game.

There are two main divisions of tennis related injury which can loosely be categorised as ‘Accidental’ and ‘Cumulative’. Lets look at each on separately. 

Accidental Injuries
These are the type of injury that can often not be avoided…the sprains, strains and bumps that occur without warning. Often they result in acute pain that stops you from playing on or at least significantly limits your playing ability. Joint may show signs of swelling, bruises may appear and normal movement of the affected area becomes difficult. 

Initial treatment in these situations should adopt First Aid principles for musculoskeletal injuries which include RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression & Elevation). If significantly painful or restricting then a trip to A&E or your GP should be considered for a medical opinion. 

If symptoms persist following the injury then contact one of our expert Physiotherapists to discuss how Physiotherapy can help to get you back playing again.

Cumulative Injuries
This group of injuries are more gradual in onset, they tend not to completely limit your playing ability but you may see a gradual drop in performance.

Your dominant (racquet) shoulder, lower back, wrist, elbow, knees or ankles are the most likely areas of your body to be affected.

Cumulative tennis injuries will tend to become more symptomatic if you are increasing the amount of tennis you are playing, possibly during a tournament or other such event.

The temptation is to ignore the pain and play on through it. Whilst the levels of discomfort don’t make you stop, such an approach will result in the symptoms becoming worse. This will eventually significantly limit your ability to play.

If you are experiencing dull achy pains especially after playing tennis please so not ignore them or find alternative excuses for them such as "getting older" or having a "hard match". Speak to one of our Physiotherapists for advice, we are always happy to have a chat to see if Physiotherapy can help you.

Final thoughts
Tennis is a wonderful game that crosses age divides. Aches and pain do not need to stop you from playing and should not be ignored. Our expert Physiotherapists are always here to help.