The most popular of the racquet sports, tennis comes with its injuries, many of which can be actually preventable. In professional and in noncompetitive tennis, the majority of injuries are categorized as overuse injuries. Traumatic injuries are less common, but are still a concern. Contusions, lacerations, and abrasions may occur from aggressive playing.
Some common overuse injuries include the following:
-
“Tennis elbow”-tenderness of forearm muscles
-
Rotator cuff injuries-irritation and injury of the shoulder
-
Stress fractures-cracks in the bone due to increased stress on the bone
-
Ligament sprains-overstretching a ligament
-
Muscle strains-overstretching a muscle
If you suspect you experienced tennis elbow or a rotator cuff injury, then a primary care provider or a specialist such as an orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine doctor, or physical therapist can be involved in your care. However, stress fractures and/or strains and sprains of the foot and ankle can be treated by a podiatrist.
Stress fractures happen commonly in the foot bones near the toes (metatarsals), but can happen in other bones such as the navicular or even in the leg (tibia or fibula). When training is increased rapidly, the muscles fatigue and more stress is placed on the bones as a result. The bones can fracture or crack when they are not given time to adjust to the increased stress. These cracks in the bone cause pain. Strains and sprains in the foot and ankle can occur due to sudden movements while playing. A proper warm-up and stretching session beforehand can reduce the occurrence of strains and sprains.
If any injury is suspected, it is recommended to discontinue play and be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Because many tennis injuries are overuse injuries, adequate strength and endurance training and working steadily at higher level prior to extensive tennis playing can decrease injury.
Check in next week for information on picking appropriate shoegear for tennis.
Proper equipment can also be helpful in the prevention of injury. For example, appropriate footwear can decrease the likelihood of stress fractures and injuries. The sport of tennis involves a lot of start/stop as well as lateral movements: the realm of these movements result in much stress and strain on the foot and ankle.
How do I select the right tennis shoe?
-
A proper tennis shoe can withstand the rigors of lateral movement, while other athletic shoes like running shoes are designed for forward motion. A highly durable sole is recommended for lateral motion.
-
What is your playing style? Are you more a “baseline” player (playing mainly along the back line) or a “serve-and-volley” (focuses on charging the net) player? For the baseline player, the highly durable sole is more important while the serve-and-volley player would be better served looking for a tennis shoe with a durable toecap (reinforced toe with an extra piece of rubber on the outsole).
-
What kind of court are you playing on? Concrete or grass/clay? Tennis shoes for playing on concrete will have a more durable outsole and an upper that is more supportive. These kinds of shoes will be made from tougher materials like leather or vinyl. Tennis shoes for playing on clay or grass will have patterned ridges on the sole but the ridges will be closer together so the player does not slip.
-
Take into consideration if you are to be classified as an overpronator, neutral, or underpronator. These can affect your tennis shoe needs as well.
For evaluation of the foot and ankle due to a tennis injury, make an appointment today at 406-721-4007.