Chiropractor Chandler AZ

Tennis Injuries - Prevention and Recovery

Tennis has been around for a long time, but it remains an extremely popular sport. People love to watch the pros battle it out on the court - stars like Venus and Serena Williams are household names. And tennis remains one of those sports that people love to do even more than watch. Americans of all ages, from grammar school kids to seniors living out their retirement years on the gold coast of Florida, are playing tennis more and more often. Even the business of playing tennis is a big deal. According to the Tennis Industry Association, the pastime has enjoyed a ten percent growth in overall players recently, and the sport generates over $5.5 billion in capital annually. However, while more people are playing tennis than ever, there is a downside: injuries.

Tennis players are exceptionally prone to overuse injuries in the arms and shoulders, as well as lower back pain. A recent Danish study found that players suffer an average of 2.3 tennis injuries for every 1,000 hours played. One common injury players experience is tennis elbow, which equates to soft tissue tears on the upper forearms and elbow from overuse. Wrist strains are common in tennis too, as are knee and should maladies associated with overuse. . Fortunately, a sore arm doesn't have to keep you off the court for too long. Fortunately, there are new and innovative techniques to treat tennis injuries and get players back to the game sooner rather than later.

The Graston Technique for Tennis Players

One of the newer treatments to help people recover from painful tennis injuries is the Graston Technique (GT). GT is a form of soft tissue mobilization, and involves a trained practitioner using a specially designed set of stainless steel instruments to manipulate afflicted soft tissue. The GT instruments allow clinicians to identify injured tissue, and then are used to break down scar tissue and other restrictors. The technique facilitates increased blood flow to problem areas, alleviates pain, and can speed up the recovery process. While still a relatively new medical innovation, several clinical trials have affirmed the Graston Technique's effectiveness at addressing soft tissue injuries.

GT therapy is great news for players suffering from tennis elbow. Typical soft tissue injuries like this, often called adhesions, can keep muscles painfully tight and limit range of motion. GT is particularly effective at addressing these conditions. Additionally, GT can immediately address the buildup of scar tissue, alleviate lingering pain, and promote soft tissue healing for other tennis injuries as well. The Graston technique can be especially effective at addressing injuries before they become serious and debilitating, so it is worth checking with your physical therapist to get treatment as soon as your aches and pains start adding up.

Active Release Therapy (ART) for Tennis Players

Active Release Therapy, or ART, is another relatively new non-invasive technique to treat tennis injuries commonly seen in the sport. ART is a patented technique that involves hand manipulation of soft tissue by a trained practitioner. ART's 500-move treatment protocol is exceptionally effective at identifying damaged soft tissue, and then treating it. These carefully designed, precision movements, like GT, can help increase blood flow, alleviate pain, and restore range of motion. All of this, again, is great news for sore tennis players everywhere.

Specially trained ART practitioners are adept at identifying the source of soft tissue injury or pain, then breaking down the scar tissue causing it. Active Release Therapy is also used as a preventative measure to keep muscles and tendons primed for workouts, thus avoiding injury altogether. ART can be great for dedicated tennis enthusiasts, especially those who are experiencing routine or growing soft tissue pain. So if injuries are holding you back from giving it all you've got on the court, ART may be the right choice for you.

Get Back on the Court

Tennis, although a long-established sport, is growing in popularity. The timeless sport, with its repetitive motion and intensity, leaves athletes exceptionally prone to overuse injuries. The Graston Technique and Active Release Therapy offer innovative ways to keep tennis players' muscles and tendons in good shape, and prevent injury altogether. They are also extremely effective at treating soft tissue injuries and rapidly getting you back in action. So don't wait until it's too late. Do your homework, find a clinician who offers GT or ART and get back to playing hard in every match.

Our Chandler Chiropractic and Physical Therapy clinic treats patients with a variety of muscle, tendon, joint, and ligament injuries. The clinic provides treatment for runners, tri-athletes, and weekend warriors in addition to common headache, neck, and back patients traditionally seen in Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Massage Therapy clinics. We work with all ages and abilities of the residents in Phoenix, Tempe, Gilbert, Mesa, and Chandler AZ.