Tennis: a Demanding Sport!

Tennis requires a combination of great muscular effort and cardiorespiratory work.

Far from sparing the body, tennis practice involves high-speed movements in the end range of motion. They cause important stresses to the shoulder and elbow tendons as well as wrists and the back. Moreover, the overload is asymmetrical and can cause a force and flexibility displacement.

Conditioning of the scapula musculature, where the tendons of the shoulder are attached, is really important to prevent several current injuries for tennis players such as rotator cuff injuries and tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis).

The tennis elbow is caused by a strain and overuse of the lateral elbow tendons. Tennis players and golfers frequently suffer from it by repeating their stuck movements. Repetitive movements such as the handling of a percussion tool or the use of the mouse and a computer keyboard are also common causes of this pathology.

Calf strains; tears of the Achilles tendon or of the hamstrings; ankle sprains, tendinitis, the hip and shoulder bursitis are also other injuries to watch out for. These injuries are often due to an insufficient warm-up, a lack of conditioning, an overload of tennis practice associated with a lack of preparation and physical limitations that appear with the aging. Studies showed that the return to the play is done more quickly if the problem is addressed quickly.

A physiotherapist or an athletic therapist can guide you in the rehabilitation of an injury and help you to improve your individual physical restrictions in order to prevent an old or a new injury.