Tennis is a great sport. It’s social, easy to pick up and is generally safe and low risk. However, injuries can still occur. Common injury sites include the elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle and lower back. Acute injuries are more frequently seen in the lower limb. These include ankle sprains, knee ligament and meniscal injuries and muscle strains. In the upper limb, overuse injuries are more likely to occur, particularly in the elbow, shoulder and lower back.
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What is it?
Tennis elbow (or lateral elbow tendinopathy)
- Classified as pain in the lateral aspect (outside) of the elbow joint
- Estimated to affect up to 50% of tennis players
- Most common in beginner players and players over 40
Why do I get it?
- Caused by a tendinopathy (or overuse) of the common extensor tendon (tendon that attaches to the outside of the elbow)
- Forces are greatest in one-handed backhand shots, thus, making players who hit this type of shot more at risk of developing the condition
- Hitting the ball off centre
- Having a flexed wrist on impact
- Gripping the racket too tightly
How do I get rid of it?
- Ensure your racket grip is the right size
- Look at your swing biomechanics
- Develop adequate muscle strength
- Stretch the affected muscles
How can physio help?
- Soft tissue release
- Joint mobilisation of the elbow +/- neck and back as indicated
- Prescribe an upper limb strengthening programme
- Devise a pain management/load tolerance plan
Highly recommend Graham at Monkstown Movement Clinic. He managed to determine the cause of my long-term pain so was able to create a recovery programme completely unique to my lifestyle and injury. Super friendly and welcoming and a very comfortable space in the new clinic in lovely Monkstown.
READ FULL REVIEWAlison
Graham was a sports physio for my former rugby team some years back, and when an old injury flared up he was very quick to make himself available to help. It had been a number of years since I had attended physio and I was slightly out of the loop as to who to call...
READ FULL REVIEWConor
I sought Graham’s help to address a problem with stiffness in legs following a period of hospitalisation. He gave me a program of exercises which were easy to follow using an App. He kept in touch with me and with his encouragement and support, I regained full fitness in my legs. I have no hesitation...
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