Tennis Injury And Recovery
We all have been there, dreaded injuries that are threating our beloved game of tennis.
It's hard to avoid them and it pays to know what to do for quick recovery.
ITF Injury Prevention And Recovery Guidelines
Calf Muscle Strain ('Tennis Leg')
‘Tennis leg’ is an incomplete rupture of the inside of the calf muscle. It is a typical tennis injury that often occurs in players in the 35 to 50 age group. This muscle injury may occur as a result of a sudden contraction of the calf muscles, for instance during a sprint. Symptoms are a sudden, sharp or burning pain in the leg, sometimes accompanied by an audible sound. In most cases, the player is unable to continue play because of the severe pain. Depending on the severity of the injury, recovery may take between a few days and six weeks.
More in the guide below ...
Ankle Sprain
A sprained or twisted ankle is the most common tennis injury. In most cases, the injury is caused
by landing on the outside of the foot, with the foot turning too far inwards. The relatively weak
lateral ankle ligaments are then injured (figure 1). An injury of the much stronger ligament on
the inside of the ankle (medial ankle ligament) is far less common (5-10% of cases). Depending
on the severity of the injury, the ligaments may be overstretched or torn, resulting in instability of
the ankle. The symptoms are pain and swelling around the ankle, mainly on the outside, later
followed by discoloration of the skin.
More in the guide below ...
Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is the best-known and also the most painful elbow injury in tennis players. An
estimated 50% of all tennis players will suffer from tennis elbow in the course of their career.
Players aged over 35 are particularly at risk. Tennis elbow is an overuse injury of the extensor
muscles of the wrist, in which pain and tenderness are felt at the attachment of these muscles at
the outer side of the elbow (figure 1). The pain may radiate into the arm, wrist and fingers. The
injury usually develops gradually, as a result of multiple micro ruptures and scar tissue at the
muscle attachment. The injury may also occur suddenly, for instance as a result of miss-hitting
the ball, so that a larger tear develops. Lifting, gripping, twisting the wrist, shaking hands,
washing dishes or opening a door may all be very painful. During tennis, hitting backhands
usually provokes the pain.
More in the guide below ...
14 pages about most common tennis injuries with explanations, pictures and workout to recover or avoid them from ITF.
Injury Prevention Guidlines (490 KB)
Source: International Tennis Federation page
If you looking for more information, try Tennis Injury Handbook: Professional Advice for Amateur Athletes from Amazon here.