Tennis may not be a high impact or contact sport, but it comes with its fair share of injury risks. Here we take a look at some of the most common tennis injuries as well as the best ways to avoid them.
Tennis elbow
Probably the most infamous injury for tennis players is lateral epicondylitis, which is more commonly known as tennis elbow. It is pain in the elbow causing by an inflammation of tendons that join the forearm to the top of the elbow, and it is usually caused by the overuse of the forearm which is one of the most commonly used muscles in tennis. If you have tennis elbow you might experience pain or burning around your elbow as well as a weak grip, and symptoms are typically worse when you use your forearm.
Make sure that you adequately rest and do not strain your forearm when playing tennis. If you begin to see signs of tennis elbow see your doctor and consider avoiding tennis while it heals.
Torn rotator cuff
Tearing your rotator cuff is another very common injury for tennis players, because the tendons and muscles of the shoulder are used in every shot in tennis. Many people associate rotator cuff tears with serious trauma but tendons can also tear due to having been worn down through overuse, so it may not be immediately obvious that you have a torn rotator cuff.
If you notice weakness, pain and tenderness in your shoulder or difficulty lifting with your arm, you may have a torn rotator cuff. The best way to avoid a torn rotator cuff from tennis is to hit shots with good technique and resting any time you experience shoulder pain.
Jumper’s knee
Also known as patellar tendonitis that is often causing by repetitive lunging or jumping which can cause tears in the patellar tendon, which attaches the kneecap to the shinbone. This is something that is very regularly seen in tennis players due to the natural movements on the tennis court. The best way to avoid it is to rest if you begin to notice symptoms such as pain or swelling in your knee.
How to stay healthy
If you have struggled with injuries on your court, it may be the case that the surface needs to be replaced. A poor tennis surface can lead to a higher risk of developing injuries, so if you have had your tennis court for a long time without any resurfacing work it could be worth looking into it.
