Tennis is an increasingly popular sport not only among sportsmen, but also among beginners or those who want to have fun, both for its simplicity of play and because it is an extremely fun sport. However, it is a sport that carries the risk of injury.
Indeed, a tennis match requires rapid and frequent changes of direction, as well as repeated movements of the arm with the racket: the combination of these activities requires adequate athletic preparation, above all to avoid accidents and pain.
Tennis: more frequent injuries
Tennis injuries can be of two types: accidental, such as, for example, slipping or being hit by an intense shot; or it can be an overload damage: the intense use of the racket and the repetition of the same movements, in fact, tends to damage the joints, especially the joints of the upper limbs. Below we list the most frequent injuries related to this sport.
Epicondylitis or tennis elbow
Epicondylitis is a typical problem in sports for which rackets are needed. In this case, the inflammation is due to an overload of the forearm extensor muscles because the elbow is placed under stress by the vibrations of the racket, leading to inflammation of the tendons. It is one of the most encountered problems for those who practice the discipline.
Rotator cuff inflammationi
The use of the shoulder to apply force to the blow can cause an overload at the level of the rotator cuffs (this is a muscle-tendon complex which, in synergy with the deltoid muscle, allows the arm to be lifted and rotated, stabilizing the shoulder and preventing dislocation). The athletic gesture of tennis can therefore wear out the tendons until they break. Shoulder dislocations, even if not very frequent, are still possible, especially in subjects who do not have adequate muscles.
tennis: wrist pain
Wrist inflammation is quite common; the wrist, in fact, is continuously solicited for the twists necessary to hit the ball with the racket and therefore exposed to the risk of injury.
Tennis and back pain: lombalgia
The playing position with a low center of gravity, the sudden twists and turns that occur during this sport put stress on the spine and its muscle groups, leading to back pain. These are very common symptoms affecting, in particular, the lumbar area; they are due to very fast movements, with braking and restarting which strain the muscles of the lower back. Contractures are also frequent in this area.
Achilles tendon inflammation
The continuous impacts with the pitch, the frequent changes of direction, the vibration of the leaps tend to inflame the Achilles tendon. It is one of the most common injuries, causing pain and discomfort.
Ankle sprain
Finally, ankle sprain, like the Achilles tendon problem, can be caused by continuous and violent changes of direction in short spaces and fast times.
How to prevent tennis injuries
The first rule for the prevention of tennis injuries is to approach the sport only after adequate sports preparation. This is often overlooked both because of the simplicity of the discipline and because a culture of primary prevention and its importance in the medical-sports sector is not particularly widespread.
In addition to awareness, there are exercises that help safeguard the health of muscles and joints during tennis practice.
Tennis training
Pre and post match training is essential to maintain well-being and physical health. That's why there are some exercises that can be done to better prepare for sport.
- Running and specific exercises. Before starting sports, you need to run for a few minutes and do some specific exercises, such as gaits, to gradually activate the muscles and prepare them for contraction, avoiding strains and injuries.
- Stretching. Once the game is over, dedicating a few minutes to stretching allows you to safeguard the health of muscles and joints, avoiding painful muscle contractures, especially in the lumbar area, caused by constant jumping and playing positions.
- Muscle strengthening. Equally important to reduce the risk of injury are the muscle strengthening exercises of all the parts of the body most stressed by the technical gesture and by the continuous changes of direction, i.e. arms, lower limbs and the core area.
- Proprioceptive gymnastics. Stability exercises and proprioceptive gymnastics are useful for improving balance and coordination, thus avoiding incorrect gestures.
Choosing tennis clothing
In parallel with training, the equipment also plays an important role in reducing the risk of incurring injuries. First of all, the shoes must be suitable for the playing conditions: if you play on a grassy field, you need shoes to avoid slipping, while for fast or hard ground it is better to opt for cushioned shoes.
You can also wear a biomechanical sock to prevent the onset of injuries and inflammation due to leaps, sudden movements and sudden jerks. S-MASH, for example, is a biomechanical sock studied and designed for padel and tennis to ensure foot stability during sporting activity and directional changes. So you can play and have fun without running the risk of injury.
FLOKY also made NO-STRAIN, a biomechanical sleeve designed to reduce the vibrations that cause inflammatory problems and injuries, particularly suitable for tennis.
