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As with any sport or activity, injuries can occur while playing tennis.  Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional, you may become injured during the course of your involvement in the sport.  Physical therapy can help!  Physical therapists specialize in returning a person to his or her previous function after an injury.  Treatment involves evaluating and treating the problem, most often by using manual therapy, modalities such as ultrasound or electrical stimulation, and exercises and activities designed to restore strength and mobility.  A doctor’s prescription is required to begin physical therapy.  The following is a list of common injuries associated with playing tennis and how PT can help:

Back Pain:  Tennis is a common cause of back pain due to the frequent twisting and rotating of the body that happens with hitting the ball and moving around the court.  Pain can be in your upper to middle back, your lower back, and may even be associated with pain or numbness and tingling down one or both of your legs.  Your physical therapist will do a thorough evaluation to determine the cause of the pain, and will come up with a treatment plan geared toward getting you back to the game.  This may include manual therapy to restore joint and soft tissue mobility, stretching and strengthening exercises, and core stability activities.

Tennis Elbow:  “Tennis elbow,” or lateral epicondylitis, is an overuse injury, of the wrist extensor musculature and tendons in the arm.  Overuse injury occurs as a result of repetitive wrist extension performed with tennis swing motions, primarily the backhand swing.  This injury is prevalent in nearly 50% of all tennis players.  Symptoms include elbow pain that can radiate into the forearm and wrist.  Physical therapy can be very helpful in treating this problem.  Treatment includes manual therapy to reduce irritation to the tendons and muscles involved, stretching/strengthening exercises, and modalities for pain relief such as ultrasound, iontophoresis, and/or ice.

                                
Knee Pain: Another common injury experienced by tennis players is knee pain.  This is a result of the constant running from side to side across the court, twisting motions of the body, and jumping up while serving the ball.  Pain is most commonly reported to be in the anterior aspect of the joint or at the site of the patellar tendon.  Physical therapy includes manual treatment to restore soft tissue and joint mobility, strengthening, balance, and agility exercises to improve knee stability.
 

Shoulder Pain: Irritation to the rotator cuff tendons, also known as “Impingement Syndrome”, is caused by microtrauma to the tendons of the shoulder.  Shoulder impingement is a result of repetitive overhead motions performed in tennis such as when serving the ball.  Pain in the shoulder commonly leads to loss of range of motion, which in turn leads to more pain.  Physical therapy will focus on restoring shoulder joint mobility, and strengthening the muscles that support the shoulder and the scapula.  This will help reduce irritation on the rotator cuff tendons and allow you to get back to playing.

Ankle Pain:  Ankle strains or sprains happen when the foot is rolled inward accidentally, usually while cutting or moving, and the lateral ligaments are stretched or torn.  Your physical therapist will use modalities to decrease inflammation and swelling, as well as teach you gentle exercise to improve mobility and strength.  As your ankle heals, you will be given exercises that focus on stability and balance, so that you will be more prepared for cutting and moving around on the court.  Often an “old” ankle injury can resurface later because the ligaments and muscles never healed properly.  Physical therapy can help in this situation as well, by reducing old scar tissue and improving overall strength, mobility and balance.