Injuries 

Top 5 most common tennis injuries 

● Tennis elbow 

-tennis elbow is also known as lateral epicondylitis. It's when the muscles and tendons of the forearm that attach to the humerus become inflamed. This injury is caused by continued gripping activities and repeated impact of the tennis ball hitting the racket. -on average takes about 6 months to a year to heal 

-number one cause of tennis elbow is going across the ball with your elbow -best way to cure is to rest the arm, ice, deep tissue massage, and use compression sock or elbow strap 

● Ankle sprain 

-this injury usually occurs when players twist or turn sharply 

-there are 3 grades to an ankle sprain 

-grade 1: grade 1 sprains are stretching or a slight tear of the ligament. Players can continue playing with minimal pain with this grade. 

-grade 2: Grade 2 is a more severe sprain, usually with an incomplete tear. Those suffering from a grade 2 sprain can expect moderate pain accompanied by bruising and swelling. The ankle may feel stable, but the area is tender, and even walking is painful. 

-grade 3: the most severe. Having a grade 3 sprain makes it impossible to play tennis because the ankle is unstable and can give out. There will be intense pain, and grade 3 sprains often require surgery to rectify. 

- rest, ice, compression, and pt are great ways to cure ankle sprains 

-normally takes about four to six weeks depending on the grade 

- repeated ankle sprains lead to an unstable ankle. This is because each time you sprain the ankle, it weakens the ligaments, which results in greater instability and the likelihood of developing additional problems in the ankle. 

● Rotator Cuff Tears 

-the rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons in your shoulder which help you lift and move your arms away from your body 

- these tears occur when tendons pull away from the arm bone 

-there's partial and complete tears 

-partial tears are when the tendon is somewhat still attached to the arm bone - A complete tear is when the tendon separates completely from the bone. There’s a hole or rip in the tendon 

-tends to occur on dominant side 

-does not heal on its own- surgery is needed 

-arm sling, rest, and PT can help 

-excessive serving and overuse

● Calf strain 

-the calf muscle group consists of the gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris muscles, situated at the back of the lower leg 

-Their function is to pull up on the heel bone and these muscles are most active during the push-off when a tennis player has to move quickly to react to an opponent’s shot -it occurs when the muscle stretches out beyond the limits and it becomes torn -when this occurs, ice,rest,use a compression sock, and elevate the calf 

● Stress on lower back 

-pain in lower back usually caused my poor posture when serving and overload on the lower back 

-rest can cure 

-not everyone necessarily feels pain when having this 

-players who have just experienced a growth spurt are more likely to have this injury -can take 6 weeks to heal 

Ankle sprain recovery time: 

The recovery time for an ankle sprain depends a lot on the severity and grade of the sprain. The higher the grade of the injury is, the longer recovery time will be. Typically, a grade one sprain takes about 2-3 weeks to recover. Grade two takes up to 3-6 weeks to fully heal. Lastly, a grade three sprains take several months till you can go back to regular activities. Resting, icing, and elevating your ankle are ways the injury can heal faster. Wearing a brace can also help stabilize the ankle and prevent it from getting worse during your recovery. 

Treatment: 

There are a couple of things you can do to help your ankle recover quickly regardless of the severity you have. There are some procedures you can do yourself but it is important to see a doctor or some sort of sports specialist to get the right care needed. First, you should be icing your ankle every couple of hours for about 15-20 minutes each time. This will help with the inflammation. Second, resting is one of the biggest parts to help your ankle heal because it will prevent any further damage. Third, compression and elevation are two other treatments you can do on your own. Compression will help with support while elevating the ankle will help with minimizing swelling. When seeing a sports specialist, they will assess the severity of the sprain, provide appropriate medical interventions if necessary and guide you through the recovery process. In some cases, they might require you to do some sort of physical therapy which will help stabilize and strengthen the ankle better. When spraining your ankle, you’re usually told to wear an ankle brace, regardless of how bad you hurt it. Braces are crucial because they provide additional support and stability to prevent further injury. When gradually going back into sports and movement, an ankle brace is also needed to help prevent another sprain. The treatment a

person needs will vary depending on the severity but it is important that you are getting the right care and following the right rules to have the most effective full recovery possible. 

Why are ankle sprains the most common injury in tennis players: 

In tennis, your ankles have to endure lateral movements, hard surfaces, quick starts and stops, and intense footwork. Tennis involves frequent lateral movements and sudden stops and starts during play , such as side-to-side shuffling and quick changes of direction. These movements put stress on the ankle joint and increase the risk of rolling or twisting the ankle, which can lead to sprains. Hard courts provide less shock absorption on, resulting in increased impact forces on the ankles during movements. This can make the ankles more vulnerable to sprains. Ankle sprains on hard courts are more common than on clay or grass. Oversized and fatigue ankles can also lead to sprains. 

Important ways you can lower the risk: 

Proper warm-ups, stretching exercises, wearing appropriate footwear, and playing on courts with good conditions are ways you can lower your risk of a sprain. It's also important to listen to your body, rest when needed, and seek medical attention if you experience persistent pain or instability in your ankle.