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Common Tennis Injuries
Over time due to stress on the muscles, joints and soft tissue you can begin to feel small, nagging ache or pain which can grow into a debilitating injury if not treated early and properly.
Acute or traumatic sudden injuries occur from sudden force, or impact, and you should seek medical attention for:
•Torn Rotator Cuff
•Shoulder Separation
•Wrist Sprains
•Ankle Sprains
•Achilles Tendon Rupture
•Hamstrings Pull or Tears
•Muscle Sprains and Strains
The following are overuse injuries that occur overtime they are common among Tennis players but no one is immune. Excessive use of a hammer is just one example of an activity which can lead to tennis elbow.
•Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
•Bursitis of the Elbow
•Rotator cuff tendonitis
•Shoulder Tendinitis, Bursitis, and Impingement Syndrome
•Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
•Rotator Cuff Tendonitis
•Glenohumeral Arthritis
•Wrist tendinitis
•Achilles tendinitis Iliotibial Band Syndrome
•Osteoarthritis of the Knee
Signs and symptoms of tennis elbow / lateral epicondylitis
•Pain about 1-2 cm down from bony area at the outside of the elbow (lateral epicondyle)
•Weakness in the wrist with difficulty doing simple tasks such as opening a door handle or shaking hands with someone.
•Pain on the outside of the elbow when the hand is bent back (extended) at the wrist against resistance.
•Pain on the outside of the elbow when trying to straighten the fingers against resistance.
•Pain when pressing (palpating) just below the lateral epicondyle on the outside of the elbow..
Treatment and where I come in:
Treating the forearm muscles (to enhance circulation) and friction therapy of the tendon (to diminish adhesive scar tissue) is often an effective treatment for tennis elbow. One should realize that other regions in the body especially the neck, upper back, and shoulder can be a contributing cause of lateral elbow pain. To begin treatment today with Mara Nicandro NMT try our easy online scheduling.
The pain sometimes isn't from the lateral elbow muscle or tendon at all. The lateral elbow pain might be from a disc problem in the neck, shoulder impingement, or entrapped distal peripheral nerves of the upper extremity.
Self-treatment is an option, but it takes patience. With rest alone, recovery is very slow. A few simple measures can speed the healing process. A person who stops activities that reinjure the elbow will often heal in 2-4 months. That includes both simple and strenuous activity that causes pain--for example, lifting a frying pan or playing the piano, as well as lifting a heavy box. Also, applying ice or heat to the injured area daily can stimulate circulation. In mild cases just following the exercise program described later in this article may be all that is needed. The following video is a demonstration of some stretches you can do to help.
References: BBenjamin PhD, Clinical Application of Neuromuscular Techniques - Leon Chaitow and Judith Walker Delany
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