Amateurs and professional players all over the world enjoy playing tennis, but unfortunately this pastime, like so many other intense physical activities, can lead to acute or chronic health problems. Overuse injuries and repetitive motion disorders may manifest themselves in the form of tennis elbow, knee pain, sprained ankles, shoulder trouble and wrist injuries. Here at Lake Worth Chiropractic & Wellness, we help tennis enthusiasts recover from their injuries while correcting underlying structural issues that might otherwise make these patients vulnerable to recurrences.
Perhaps the most common injury associated with tennis is tennis elbow, more properly known as lateral epicondylitis. This painful strain of an elbow tendon often occurs due to backhand overextension or from a racket grip that doesn’t fit the player’s hand correctly. Sufferers may feel the pain immediately (acute onset), or they may not feel it until two or three days after the injury actually occurs (late onset). In some cases, however, tennis elbow symptoms may actually be referred pain from an impinged nerve in the neck or arm. Continuous racket swings can also lead to wrist injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, an impingement of the median nerve that runs through the wrist into the first three fingers of the hand. Inflammation in the narrow tunnel that houses the nerve pinches on the nerve to cause pain, numbness and weakness in the hand.
Larger joints are also subject to tennis-related injuries. Sprained ankles are common when a player lands badly, turning the ankle in a way that tears or stretches the ligaments, tendons or other soft tissues. Moderate to severe sprained ankles may eventually develop lasting complications such as torn cartilage and chronic pain or instability in the joint. Knee pain also occurs with some frequency among tennis players. Patella tendonitis, also known as jumper’s knee, is a common condition in which the ligament connecting the kneecap to the shin becomes strained. Shoulder joints can also develop torn rotator cuffs and nerve impingement after countless overhand serves, while back pain from a bulging disc may torture you every time you stretch or run.
While some athletes turn to surgery for their knee pain, wrist injuries or other ailments, many patients rely on our combination of chiropractic adjustment, massage therapy and physical therapy to enhance their body’s natural healing powers. Dr. Cacic can perform gentle spinal adjustments to release trapped nerves relieve back pain.
He can also correct old misalignments that may be contributing to your injury, such as a balance issue that places more stress on one knee or ankle than the other. Adjustment can also relive pain associated with wrist injuries or tennis elbow. A customized program of massage and rehabilitation can relieve knee pain or other joint pain and help sprained ankles heal properly. Contact our office for an appointment.