Tennis - Dynamic Sports Medicine

The Ultimate Guide on How to Treat Tennis Elbow

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Admin

Not everyone plays tennis. But anyone can develop tennis elbow. It’s a condition with moderate to intense pain in and around the forearm that disables you from lifting objects. So, if you’re in a job that requires you to handle items or be a homemaker, tennis elbow would mean disability.

But thankfully, tennis elbow is easy to treat. You can relieve the pain and get back to work with a few simple at-home exercises. This is the ultimate guide to treating tennis elbow, where you will learn what causes it, how to identify it, how it’s diagnosed, and the treatment options available.

What is Tennis Elbow, and What Causes It?

Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis in medical terms, is a condition where you injure your tendons, thereby inducing pain. Tendons are tissues that connect muscles with bones. When the tendons are damaged, you’re likely to feel pain in the outer elbow when moving that section.

The primary cause of tennis below is repetitive movement, which strains the tendons. In a sport like tennis, the players will hit the ball with a racket again and again. At some point, the muscles get overworked, and there’s inflammation. This condition is called tendinitis. Besides that, the muscles are overloading, which creates a degenerative process called tendinosis. When there’s simultaneous tendinitis and tendinosis, tendons begin to tear, thus causing tennis elbow.

A sudden blow to the region can also cause tennis elbow. Here, the blow injures the tendons and creates inflammation.

Lastly, some people can develop tennis elbow out of nowhere. This is called idiopathic tennis elbow. The reasons behind what causes it remains unknown.

Symptoms of Tennis Elbow

So how do you know you have developed tennis elbow? The condition remains rare, with only 1-3% of the population suffering. Thus, there’s little to no knowledge among the general public, and they often wrongly confuse it with a golfer’s elbow, which is a related but different injury condition.

So how do you identify tennis elbow?

A sure-shot sign is if you’re performing repetitive action that stresses forearm joints and experience pain in the outer elbow. The pain can occur when you move the elbow on the affected forearm or touch that region. Most patients eventually feel pain in the upper arm and other parts of the hand. If you experience a gradual increase in pain, you should know it’s tennis elbow.

Patients with this condition also fail to get a strong grip and have less mobility and flexibility. Others report of experiencing intense pain during night hours.

All in all, here are the signs to look out for:

Pain in the elbow region due to repetitive motion
Painful to touch
Stiffness and swelling
Burning sensation
Weakened grip

In the idiopathic tennis elbow, the pain will start in the same region and eventually spread to the rest of the hand. As already said, it doesn’t require repetitive motion and can occur out of nowhere. Diagnosing idiopathic tennis elbow can be tricky, and it’s best to consult a physician.

How is Tennis Elbow Diagnosed?

If you spot the symptoms of tennis elbow, it’s better to get diagnosed by a physician. They will confirm the condition and suggest appropriate treatment. Once you walk into a physician’s office, they will probe your lifestyle and daily routine.

Here, they check if you have a history of repetitive motion of the region. Then, they will ask you to get X-ray scans to ensure it’s not arthritis or bone damage. Once these are ruled out, you’ll be asked to get an ultrasound, MRI, or CT scan done. These scans check for damage to the tendons and surrounding muscles. Lastly, the physician may ask for EMG or Electromyography test to check for compressed nerves.

Once all the checks are confirmed, he or she may diagnose you with tennis elbow.

Treatment of Tennis Elbow

Pain induced by tennis elbow will affect your everyday life. Therefore, it’s necessary to get treated as soon as possible.

If it’s in the early stages, the elbow pain will usually subside in a day or two. You don’t need to stress too much about it. However, in severe cases, full recovery may take up to 18 months. Also, you may be required to go for a nonsurgical treatment for quick recovery.

Here are the best treatment strategies available for tennis elbow. They are recommended from some of the top chiropractors specializing in tennis elbow in Austin, TX:

Proper Rest – Rest is the go-to treatment for most sufferers. In most cases, you must avoid repetitive motion and let the tendon tear heal. Depending on the injury, it may take a couple of days to a month to recover.
Braces – Wearing braces for a set period can help you heal faster. The aim is to prevent repetitive movement altogether. Braces will prevent that from happening, thereby aiding the healing process.
Massage therapy – Gentle massage can also cure tennis elbow. The area becomes sensitive to touch. Therefore, you need to massage in a certain way. You may or may not use oil for massage. What matters is the technique and location.
NSAIDs – NSAIDs stand for Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Certain drugs can help with tennis elbow. This includes ibuprofen and naproxen. Athletes usually take NSAIDs since they don’t contain steroids.
Steroids – Certain steroids are also available for tennis elbow. Injectable corticosteroids are commonly used to suppress joint pain temporarily. But it’s not a permanent solution and must be injected into the elbow area with acute precision.
PRP therapy – Plasmas are small cell fragments that speed up muscular damage healing. You can opt for platelet-rich plasmas to treat tennis elbow. A skilled practitioner will remove the blood and inject PRP into the injured area.
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy – The aim of shock therapy is to break up the scar tissue. This improves blood flow into the region, speeding up healing.
Tenotomy – Removal of degenerative tendon tissue from the tendon can cure underlying reasons for tennis elbow. This is a minimally invasive procedure and serves as an alternative to surgery.

Exercises to Treat Tennis Elbow at Home

Most tennis elbow patients treat themselves at home. Besides rest and braces, there are some exercises that help you heal faster.

These are:

Fist clench

Fist clench involves holding and pressing a towel in your fist, palms facing upwards, and the forearm resting on a table. This improves grip strength and builds stronger forearm muscles.

Dumbbell supination

The supination exercise works out the supinator muscle, the forearm muscle, which attaches to the elbow. This muscle is often involved in the repetitive motion that causes the tennis elbow. For this exercise, take a dumbbell in the affected hand, fixate the elbow on a table or your knees, and rotate the wrist. Keep the elbow and upper arm still while working out the lower arm.

Wrist extension

When you bend your wrists, you use a group of muscles called wrist extensors. In repetitive motions that lead to tennis elbow, the wrist extensors are often overused, so pain spreads to the rest of the hand. If that’s the case, perform a wrist extension exercise. Take a dumbbell in your hand, palm facing downwards and elbow resting on knees, and curl the wrist up and down.

If the pain continues, it’s crucial to seek expert advice immediately. Visit our home page to set up an appointment with a sports medicine chiropractor.

4 Ways to Prevent Muscle Imbalance Injuries In Tennis

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Admin

Tennis is a repetitive sport. From serving the ball to running throughout the court, the hours you spend playing the game can serve both to strengthen your body and to put it at risk. In particular, the repetitive movements that are essential to the game can create imbalances throughout your body, imbalances that can make you more prone to certain injuries. Here is a look at what these imbalances are and 4 ways to prevent them from happening.

What are muscle imbalances?

A muscle imbalance occurs when the muscles on one side of a joint or one side of your body become larger and stronger than the muscles on the other side. Often, the counterpart muscles then become looser, longer and weaker.

This usually occurs when you use one side more than the other. In tennis, for example, you may use the internal muscles of your shoulder more often than the external ones.

This inequity can have a significant impact on your overall health and performance. For example, overused muscles may become tight and lose flexibility – Making them more prone to sprains, strains and tears. On the other hand, the weaker muscles may also lose functionality – leaving you prone to pain and injury because of their inability to handle necessary bodily functions.

How can you prevent muscle imbalances?

The repetitive movements of tennis are unavoidable. However, muscle imbalances are not. Understanding the areas where these imbalances tend to occur most in tennis players, and engaging in exercises that help to correct them, can give you greater flexibility, range of motion and resistance to injury, even when you spend many hours engaged in your sport. Here are four areas of the body most affected by muscle imbalance in tennis players, and how to prevent or correct these imbalances.

Strengthen the external rotators of the shoulder

Tennis requires the constant use of the internal rotators of your shoulder – The subscapularis in the rotator cuff, the latissimus dorsi in your back, and the chest’s pectoralis major.

When used without a compensating strengthening of the external shoulder muscles, these muscles become tight and powerful, but inflexible, while the external muscles become weak and loose. That leaves you more prone to painful and even debilitating shoulder problems over time.

How can you address this imbalance? Through exercises that empower the external muscles and help them become equal to your internal shoulder muscles in strength and range of motion. Here are a few exercises you can try:

Low cable crossover raise
Seated row
Side lying DB external rotation
Seated external rotation
Isometric exercises at varying degrees

Build internal rotator flexibility

As the internal rotators become stronger through endless serves and returns on the tennis court, they also become tighter. As a result, they become less capable of withstanding impacts and become more prone to injury.

In order to keep your shoulder healthy, you must build external rotator strength along with internal rotator flexibility. The longer and looser these internal muscles become, the more resistant they will be to overuse and traumatic injuries. Stretches are particularly helpful for improving your shoulder’s range of motion. Here are some of the best:

Overhead stretches
Behind-the-back stretches
Isometric shoulder stretches

Develop your gluteal and quadriceps muscles

You may not give much thought to your gluteal muscles or the muscles at the front of your thigh, called the quadriceps. However, these muscles are important in supporting the running movements you make during tennis. If you fail to strengthen them, those running motions, the stopping and starting on the tennis court, could lead to injury. Exercises that put these muscles to forceful use are most helpful in developing both the strength and the flexibility you need. Here are some of the best:

Squats
Lunges
Deadlifts
Leg extensions
Bridges

Develop leg and hip flexibility

A final area often affected by muscle imbalances during tennis is the leg and hip area. These muscles can become overworked, tight, and prone to injury. Stretches that loosen these muscles can improve your flexibility and range of motion, enabling better performance with less pain and injury. Here are some of the best approaches:

Piriformis stretch
Standing quadriceps stretch
Lunges with spinal twist
Knee-to-Chest stretches
Lunging hip flexor stretch
Standing hamstring stretch

If you frequently play tennis, you may need to engage in some of these exercises to prevent, and address, muscle imbalances throughout your body. Doing so can prevent painful injuries and help you stay playing on the court for longer. A skilled and experienced chiropractor can help. At Dynamic Sports Medicine, our athlete-trusted team delivers the gold standard in Austin sports medicine. Let us help you address pain, dysfunction and preventive care in a way that keeps you active, keeps you on the court and keeps you pain free.

The Ultimate Guide to Chiropractic Care for Tennis Players

Posted on June 9, 2023 by Admin

Tennis physiotherapy is an essential component in addressing and preventing tennis-related injuries. This specialized field combines the expertise of physiotherapists and chiropractors to provide comprehensive care for tennis players. By integrating chiropractic manual manipulation techniques with targeted tennis physiotherapy exercises, optimal results can be achieved for those suffering from tennis injuries.

As a tennis player, physical fitness is a necessity if you want to perform your best in every game. However, the demands of the game, including swinging the racquet, running back and forth, and jumping, can leave you prone to certain injuries that can hinder your ability to play the game well. The solution? Often, it is chiropractic care tailored to tennis players. In this comprehensive guide, discover everything you need to know about tennis injuries, chiropractic care for tennis, preventive measures you can take, and how the right chiropractic approach can help you enjoy a healthier game.

Common Tennis Injuries And Why They Occur

While tennis is less likely than other sports to lead to major injuries, fractures, or brain trauma, tennis players do tend to suffer from certain injuries due to the nature of their sport. Here is a look at three of the most common, what their symptoms are, and why they may occur.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is usually caused by overuse of the tendons that extend from the forearm to the outside of the elbow (Golfer’s elbow, which can also afflict tennis players, is a similar injury affecting the tendons on the inside of the elbow). Repetitive actions such as holding the tennis racket, completing backhand shots and other tennis movements leads to inflammation of these tendons. Symptoms may include the following:

Pain that radiates from the outside of the elbow up or down your arm
Weakness that makes it difficult to grasp objects
A burning sensation on your elbow
A swollen or tender outer elbow

Rotator Cuff Injury

The act of playing tennis can also put a significant amount of stress on your rotator cuff and shoulder joint. The rotator cuff attaches your upper arm bone (the humerus) to your shoulder joint and plays a key role in helping you to lift and move your shoulder. Injury often occurs here among tennis players thanks to repetitive movements (Such as lifting the racket overhead) and due to sudden, forceful motions that can lead to tears in the rotator cuff. Symptoms of this injury may include the following:

Shoulder pain, even when resting
Pain when moving your arm
Weakness in lifting or moving your arm
Crackling in the shoulder

Knee Injuries

While the arm is most frequently involved in tennis injuries, the pivoting, jumping and running required in tennis can also lead to knee injuries. These can include everything from spraining your knee to tearing a ligament or creating inflammation in the tendon of your knee. Symptoms of a knee problem may include the following:

Swelling or stiffness in the knee
Tenderness
Crunching or popping noises
Knee weakness
Inability to bear weight on the knee
Limited range of motion

Additional Injuries

Tennis elbow is arguably the most well-known tennis injury, but others, including tennis leg and jumper’s knee, are actually more common reasons tennis players seek chiropractic care. In fact, most sports chiropractors who treat tennis players see more injuries to the lower extremities — foot, ankle, and knees — from hard planting on court surfaces and the continuous twisting and torquing necessitated by the sport. Some additional injuries that tennis players may experience include the following:

Wrist injuries
Tennis-related back pain
Tennis player muscle imbalance
Plantar fasciitis
Leg strains and sprains

Chiropractic Care: A Noninvasive Approach to Tennis Injuries

Sometimes, tennis injuries are addressed with invasive procedures, such as surgery. At other times, the use of pain pills can address the discomfort associated with tennis injuries. While not invasive, this approach fails to address the root cause of the problem, while often causing issues of their own.

Regular chiropractic care reduces pain, inflammation, and soreness associated with training and play, and helps to keep muscles supple and unrestricted, improve flexibility and range of motion.

An alternative to these less-than-desirable approaches is often chiropractic care. As a holistic approach to treatment, it can be used both to heal and to prevent certain injuries incurred by tennis players. Some studies have shown chiropractic care to be effective in the treatment of these types of injuries. Consider, for example, this study of an individual who suffered from tennis elbow for two years before receiving sports medicine care that restored his function and alleviated his pain.

If chiropractic care can effectively address certain injuries caused by tennis, it may help you to avoid surgery (or ongoing pain pill usage). In fact, though not specific to tennis, some research has shown that chiropractic care reduces the need for back surgery in individuals experiencing back pain. What if you could enjoy the benefits of chiropractic care, avoid the need for invasive procedures and get back to the sport you love more quickly? Here are the primary benefits of chiropractic care for tennis players:

Pain Relief

Chiropractic care for tennis players can play a role in alleviating the pain associated with injuries such as torn rotator cuffs or tennis elbow. The right adjustments do more than simply take away pain, however. They address the musculoskeletal imbalances and misalignment that can contribute to pain and can even reduce inflammation.

For example, myofascial release may be used to alleviate tension or adhesion in the elbow, while PEMF may be used to stimulate the body’s healing processes. Or, adjustments may be made to ease the inflammation and stiffness within the elbow joint. All of these techniques can alleviate pain while addressing its cause, so that healing comes faster and relief lasts longer.

Improved Range of Motion

Being able to move fully and fluidly is essential to the successful performance of tennis. If injuries or tension limit this movement, playing the sport can become more difficult. In addition, a limited range of motion may leave you more prone to injury, as your body cannot as easily move as required during the game.

Chiropractic care can help loosen up muscles and joints and give you full use of your body. A professional chiropractor or sports medicine specialist can use a variety of techniques to help mobilize your joints and improve your flexibility. From utilizing massages to calm inflammation to incorporating adjustments to align your body, these techniques can help you in preventing or overcoming injury.

Improved Performance

As an athlete, you naturally want to perform at your peak. Instead of waiting until you are injured to seek out the restorative assistance of a sports medicine professional, you can boost your performance now by seeking their help.

For example, a chiropractor may be able to identify tennis muscle imbalances, suboptimal ways of moving, or issues with your nervous system function that make it difficult for you to excel in tennis. They can also help you develop exercise regimens that give you greater strength, improve your coordination, and expand your range of motion so you can push yourself (safely) to the peak of your game.

Preventive Care

Finally, sports medicine and chiropractic care can go beyond injury rehabilitation and stop injuries from occurring in the first place. Tennis players, for example, who want to stay healthy longer may see a chiropractor to optimize their movement, implement an exercise regimen to improve range of motion, or receive PEMF treatment to overcome soreness before it becomes a sports-inhibiting issue.

Common Chiropractic Treatments

In the context of tennis physiotherapy, chiropractic care focuses on detecting and eliminating scar tissue originating from repetitive motions and past injuries, which can restrict the movement of ligaments, tendons, and muscles. These hands-on techniques, when combined with personalized tennis physiotherapy programs, ensure a well-rounded approach towards treatment and recovery.

Chiropractors, and sports medicine professionals in particular, have many tools and techniques available to address your tennis injuries. These can be broken down into hands-on techniques and treatments and specialized approaches.

Hands-On Approaches

Chiropractic manual manipulation can be employed to detect and eliminate scar tissue originating from repetitive motions and past injuries, which restrict the movement of ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Hands-on techniques encompass various manual methods that a chiropractor utilizes to address tennis injuries. These may consist of any of the following:

Spine and limb adjustments
Soft tissue mobilization
Myofascial release
Manual therapy

Active Rehabilitation Therapies

Specialized treatments encompass chiropractic and state-of-the-art active rehabilitation therapies, which prove to be much more effective than passive rest-and-ice protocols. These treatments aim to naturally reduce pain, mitigate the dependence on NSAIDs, and minimize the necessity for steroid injections, all while being tailored to the specific needs of the patient. They include any of the following:

Myofascial release
Instrument-assisted soft tissue technique
Acupuncture
Dry needling
Therapeutic exercises
Ultrasound therapy
Electrical stimulation
Kinesiology taping
Rehab programs
PEMF
And more

Limitations of Chiropractic Care For Tennis Players

Chiropractic care does have its limitations when it comes to treating tennis injuries. The biggest limitation is the fact that sports medicine specialists focus primarily on the musculoskeletal system. As a result, problems that extend beyond the muscles, joints, spine, etc. may be outside the scope of chiropractic care. At these times, your chiropractor may be able to work within a multidisciplinary team or provide referrals to specialists who can provide the appropriate treatment for your tennis injury.

In addition, while chiropractic care is noninvasive and therefore safer than more extreme approaches, such as surgery, it can have some minor side effects that you should be aware of. These may include the following:

Temporary soreness
Temporary fatigue
Headaches
Dizziness
Numbness

The key to managing these side effects is to communicate clearly and promptly with your provider. They can usually adjust and tailor your treatment to minimize side effects and ensure that you do not suffer actual pain during your visits or while implementing your at-home exercise regimens.

How can you ensure that your chiropractic care is delivered effectively and safely? Look for a qualified, licensed and reputable chiropractor or sports medicine professional. For example, here at Dynamic Sports Medicine, we have worked with professional athletes for years, and the same approach that they trust is available to you!

Practical Tips for Preventive Care

Preventive measures should be an integral part of any tennis players’ regimen in order to minimize the risk of injuries and optimize your performance. Here are some tips that can prevent injury, improve your performance, and reduce the amount of time you spend seeking sports medicine support.

Follow warm up and cool down best practices

Warming up and cooling down is essential to prepare your muscles, joints and ligaments for performance, and to prevent stiffness and injury after playing.

For warm-up routines, dynamic stretching is often an effective approach. This strategy involves using controlled movements to target your major muscle groups in order to loosen them up for the movements and stresses of the upcoming game. Here are two examples of dynamic stretches that work your lower body and your whole body, respectively.

Straight Leg Marches

Stand straight with arms at your sides
Raise your left arm until it is at hip level.
Lock your knees.
Raise your right leg until it is even with your left arm.
Repeat using the opposite arm and leg.
Perform for desired number of reps.

Hand Walks

Bend over until your hands are flat on the ground.
Walk forward until your back is straight.
Move your feet toward your hands – Keeping your legs straight.
Move your hands forward again and repeat.

When cooling down, static stretches often work best to reduce muscle tension and prevent next-day soreness. While there are dozens of static stretching exercises you can adopt, here are two that commonly work well for tennis players.

Wrist Extensor Flex

Place your left arm straight in front of you.
Place your hand palm down.
Use your right hand to hold your left hand.
Gently bend your left hand down until you feel the stretch.
Hold for 10 seconds.
Repeat for your desired number of repetitions.

Butterfly Stretch

Sit on the floor with the soles of your feet together.
Move your feet closer to your hips.
Push down into your sitting position.
Straighten your spine.
Tuck your chin into your chest.
Inhale and exhale slowly, allowing yourself to straighten and relax with each breath.
Hold for up to 2 minutes.
Repeat desired number of times.

Use the proper equipment

The equipment you use has more of an impact on your physical health than you may realize. Here are some ways to ensure you have equipment that will support your health:

Use a tennis racket that is the appropriate size and weight for your hand to avoid stress from a racket that is too large or heavy.
Invest in tennis shoes that offer appropriate foot and arch support.
Replace your equipment regularly when they become worn out.

Optimize your technique

Sometimes, tennis injuries occur because of improper movements or or poor footwork that put unnecessary strain on important joints and muscles. Working with a trained tennis coach can help you to master important techniques that can minimize injury. Use your training to focus on elements of game play such as the following:

Body positioning
Posture
Footwork
Stroke mechanics

Embrace regular chiropractic care

Because chiropractic care can help you to prevent injuries before they occur, regular check ins with a sports medicine professional are essential. Do not wait until you are in pain to seek out their assistance. Instead, make them part of your wellness routine.

As an athlete looking to maintain health and performance on the court, you should plan to see a sports medicine professional once a week (or more, if recommended). During these check ins, your chiropractor to provide you with the following:

Musculoskeletal assessments
Imbalances identification
Preventive exercises
Body alignment
Flexibility support
Addressing of minor issues

The key to enjoying all of the benefits of chiropractic care is to identify problems early on and make chiropractic care part of your regular routine. With a professional assisting you on a weekly or even monthly basis, you can identify problems before they take you off the court – Or prevent them from happening in the first place.

By incorporating tennis physiotherapy into the rehabilitation process, players can improve overall muscular balance, flexibility, and strength. This not only addresses the existing tennis injuries but also helps in preventing future injuries, leading to improved performance and a reduced risk of further complications. Moreover, the combination of chiropractic care and tennis physiotherapy offers a holistic approach to recovery for athletes, enabling them to swiftly return to their optimal playing condition.

Chiropractic care is an excellent option for any tennis player looking to maximize performance, minimize injuries and stay on the court. At Dynamic Sports Medicine, we offer you the same care trusted by top athletes. That means that you receive expert care, from preventive appointments to injury rehabilitation. And, with a wide range of services that includes adjustments, PEMF and more, we have the tools to customize your treatment to your needs. Contact us today to learn more!

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Relieve Low Back Pain in Golf and Tennis Players

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Admin

There’s no doubt that participating in outdoor sports is good for health, as it is also a form of exercise and physical activity. However, it’s also known that sports can be strenuous for the muscles, joints, and tissues, leading to pain and soreness. Golf and tennis are both two such intensive sports, and it’s not uncommon for players to often develop lower back pain.

If you’re a regular golf or tennis player experiencing pain in the lower back area, whether mild or severe, you must treat it as quickly as possible. You can consider various options for low back pain relief, but chiropractic treatment is often considered one of the most ideal, non-invasive options.

Find out more about how chiropractic care can help relieve low back pain in golf and tennis players, and what makes it an effective treatment method.

Why are golf and tennis players prone to low back pain?

Both these sports involve swinging motions and muscular movement, putting significant pressure on the lower back area. A recent study also found that low back pain was extremely prevalent among athletes from various sports, including tennis. Similar research regarding golf players stated that lower back pain alone accounts for between 18% and 54% of all golf-related ailments.

These numbers and studies are not meant to discourage people from practicing these sports, as their health benefits are undeniable. But one also needs to be aware that certain factors can cause serious back pain among tennis players and golfers, such as:

Overexertion

If you play intensively for long hours or on a regular basis without giving your body enough rest and time to recover, you’re likely to develop back pain.

Incorrect motion and technique

Strokes in golf, as well as serves and swings in tennis, require proper posture, stance, and movement. Incorrectly performing such motions can hurt the muscles, ligaments, and tissues, leading to lower back pain.

Lack of proper warm-ups

Warm-up and stretching are crucial to loosen stiff muscles and make your body flexible before golf or tennis matches. If you’re heading into games without warming up properly, it can strain your muscles in the low back region.

Repeated motion

Many times, even with proper technique, simply performing swinging motions over and over for a long time can cause wear and tear of the muscles and tissues in the lower back.

When should golf and tennis players see a chiropractor for lower back pain?

If the pain doesn’t go away within 1 or 2 days, it’s best to consult a chiropractor immediately. Even if it may not be a serious condition, there is no harm in seeking professional advice through chiropractic care as early as possible. And if the pain persists for more than 4-5 days, or if it goes away but keeps recurring, you should see a chiropractor without delay.

How can chiropractic care relieve lower back pain in golf and tennis players?

Chiropractic care has proven to be effective in all kinds of pain management. Here’s how golfers and tennis players can benefit from chiropractic treatment for low back pain relief:

Spinal manipulation

Lower back pain is often caused due to problems in the lumbar spine, such as stiffness and tension. Spinal manipulation techniques can treat such issues through controlled pressure in targeted areas of the lower back region. The chiropractor usually does this using their hands or some special equipment to apply thrust to the spinal joints. In doing so, it improves the mobility of joints and releases built-up tension, which can relieve pain.

Myofascial release

Myofascial release is a chiropractic technique that involves the application of gentle but constant pressure on affected areas or trigger points. It’s a special massaging technique that can loosen stiff muscles and increase blood circulation in the targeted area, reducing inflammation as well. By stretching the muscles and myofascial tissues, this technique frees pinched nerves, if any. So there are multiple ways in which it can address and treat different underlying causes of lower back pain, be it stiffness, inflammation, or pressure on the spinal nerves.

Spinal Decompression

Herniated discs are also common causes of lower back pain in golf and tennis players, given the range of twisting and turning movements involved in the sport. It can be treated with spinal decompression therapy, such as manual or mechanical traction, which restores the position of the affected disks between the spine.

Corrective Exercises

Chiropractors may also prescribe a wide range of stretching and strengthening exercises to correct certain defects which might be causing low back pain, such as muscular imbalance or postural defects. These exercises are meant to be performed regularly, improving mobility, flexibility, and strength of targeted muscles. So, specific corrective exercises targeting the muscles in the lower back will effectively alleviate pain and tension.

These are just some of the chiropractic techniques and treatment methods that can relieve lower back pain in athletes. In addition, chiropractors also offer diet and lifestyle advice for athletes to prevent back pain and injuries in the future.

What should I expect in chiropractic treatment for lower back pain?

When you visit a chiropractor, they will conduct a thorough diagnosis and observe your condition. You will also be asked where you feel the pain, how long it has persisted, and how sharp or intense it feels. After an initial inquiry of your condition, they might suggest various physical tests, imaging techniques, or any other diagnosis techniques as they see fit better to understand the underlying cause of the back pain.

Based on the complete diagnosis, they will determine the right course of treatment that addresses the exact underlying cause. For example, spinal decompression will be necessary if herniated disks are causing back pain. But if it’s a mild pain caused by muscular stiffness, only performing corrective stretching exercises at home may be enough to treat the condition. In some cases, different techniques may be required to treat your low back pain completely. Based on the severity of the pain, the treatment may require one or multiple sessions.

Get the Best Chiropractic Care in Austin for Low Back Pain Relief

If you’re a golfer or tennis player experiencing low back pain and seeking a reliable chiropractor in Austin, reach out to us at Dynamic Sports Medicine. We are one of the leading service providers for sports medicine in Austin, offering a wide range of the latest and advanced treatment methods for sports-related injuries and conditions.

With state-of-the-art healthcare and rehabilitation technology, and some of the best chiropractors for sports medicine, we can effectively treat a wide variety of ailments in athletes, including low back pain. Contact us for a personal consultation or book an appointment so that our professional chiropractors can help you get relief from lower back pain and fully enjoy your sporting activities.

Preventing Injuries in Golf and Tennis Players

Posted on April 15, 2023 by Admin

All sports make you vulnerable to injuries. Even low-impact sports like golf and tennis require a high level of endurance which can take a toll on new players. Thus, to boost performance and avoid injuries, golf and tennis players must adopt the right practices. This article talks about various ways players can prevent injuries. But before that, let’s look at various injuries that golf and tennis players are prone to.

Injuries involved in playing golf

The majority of injuries in golf players are caused due to overuse. Here are some of the frequent injuries they experience:

Low back pain

Poor muscle strength and flexibility can cause back pain in golf players. A golf swing requires full body movement and a flexible back. Repeated swings can put extra pressure on the back muscles, causing strain.

Tennis elbow/golf elbow

Tennis elbow is more common in golf players than golf elbow. Tennis elbow is an injury to the outer elbow bone. This is not a physical injury but a chronic pain in the tendons around the tennis elbow.

The golf elbow is less popular among golfers but is caused when the inner elbow bone gets compromised with overuse.

Shoulder rotator cuff

Shoulder rotator cuff injuries are common in golfers due to the occurrence of full shoulder movement in making golf swings. Also, this is the prime reason for shoulder pain in golf players. This condition develops in case of shoulder dislocation or inflammation of tendons and ligaments around the shoulder rotator cuffs.

Injuries involved in playing tennis

Tennis and golf elbow

Tennis players are also susceptible to elbow pain caused due to tennis elbow or golf elbow. This may again be caused due to overuse of muscles and tendons around the elbow bone area. As tennis players must make repeated hand movements with double the power, the elbow and shoulder area gets compromised, resulting in unseen but painful injuries like carpel tunnel syndrome, wrist injuries, and other related tendon injuries.

Back pain

Back pain is also predominant in tennis players, especially during serving. The extra stress required during serving puts pressure on the lower back, sometimes resulting in vertebrae fractures.

Tennis knee

Tennis knee or tendonitis is caused due to over stress on the tendons attached to the kneecap and shinbone. Landing abruptly, jumping, and other sharp knee movements while playing cause pain and swelling in the knee area.

Ankle sprains

Ankle sprains are also common in tennis. Sometimes the extreme outstretching required to play a shot results in faulty landing and lumping, causing ankle sprains. Ankle sprains are common in clay courts because the clay is soft, and the foot digs inside, causing the foot to turn abruptly and leading to a sprain.

Injury prevention in golf players and tennis players

There are many ways to prevent injuries in golf and tennis players. As the injuries from golf and tennis are nearly the same, here are a few injury prevention tips that work.

Always warm-up

Warming up a bit before playing can help prepare your body before the body goes into intense play. Simple exercises focusing on the key body parts affected when playing golf and tennis are recommended. The warm-up exercise should focus on moving your hands, legs, shoulder, and back. This will make a lot of difference in athletic performance. Warming up for tennis and golf doesn’t have to be too rigorous. Just playing a few shots before you toil yourself hard does the trick.

Wear right shoes

Wearing the right shoes is often disregarded. However, each sport has specific types of shoes that are designed considering the need of the game. Wearing the right shoe can help prevent ankle sprains, tiredness, and muscle soreness and keep your endurance high. The right shoes/footwear also help maintain the footwork needed in every sport.

Athletes don’t wear football shoes. Football players don’t wear tennis shoes. This is enough to know the importance of wearing the right pair of shoes that cater to a specific sport.

Use RICE principle

The RICE principle has been beneficial in minimizing pain to an extent. It stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. The procedure can help ease the inflammation and pain in the knee, shoulder, back, and elbow. Ice needs to be applied for the first 20 minutes and then repeated after every two hours.

The ice works on bringing down the swelling, whereas elevation allows the blood circulation to stay intact for a while to bring the swelling down. It’s more suitable to heal an injury faster.

Take chiropractic care

Some of the injuries are caused due to weak muscle strength, lack of flexibility, and other similar reasons. Such injuries can be prevented with the help of chiropractor sports medicine. Chiropractic sports medicine is a dynamic way of preventing any sports injuries. These include the use of hands by chiropractic to relax your muscles.

Chiropractic care can usually be incorporated into training practice to prevent a player from golf and tennis injuries. It not only helps in healing the injuries but prevents them too.

Some basic injuries like rotator cuff injuries (shoulder pain), back pain, and golf and tennis elbow can be best avoided and treated through proper chiropractic care. Chiropractic care proves beneficial for quick recovery and considerably reduces the need to take pain medications. If you are looking for a sports chiropractor in Austin to help you deal with tennis and golf injuries, contact us today.

Treating Shoulder Pain in Tennis Players

Posted on March 31, 2023 by Admin

Every tennis player is susceptible to shoulder pain at some point in time. Like any other prevalent injury in tennis, shoulder pain in tennis players is also caused due to repetitive movements.

Tennis involves full-body movement, specifically that of the shoulder and hands. Repeated overhead movement through your dominant shoulder is one of the main causes of shoulder pain in tennis players. A study on rotator cuff injuries in tennis players mentions, “The serve is the most energy-demanding motion in the sport, and it accounts for 45 to 60% of all strokes performed in a tennis match, putting the shoulder at increased risk of overuse injury and rotator cuff tears.”

The intensity of pain in tennis players aggravates as they continue to train even after mild shoulder pain. A study found that around 75% of tennis players experienced mild shoulder pain, while 10% experienced moderate to severe shoulder pain. The study also emphasized that 60.7% of the players reported some discomfort in the shoulder, not necessarily pain.

This means there can be more shoulder problems in tennis players than just pain that could later turn to shoulder pain and even worse.

Causes of shoulder pain in tennis players

There are mainly two causes of shoulder pain in tennis players:

Impingement syndrome

There can be internal impingement or external impingement. Both impingements are caused due to shoulder joint instability. The impingement syndrome is also closely related to scapula dyskinesis (imbalance of shoulder blades). Scapula is a scientific term for shoulder blades, whereas dyskinesis is a term for impairment in voluntary movement.

An external impingement is located on the exterior of the shoulder joint. In external impingement, the rotator cuffs are compressed. This is much more like a rotator cuff tear that is diagnosed with the help of an impingement test. Impingement syndrome is likely to happen during overpowered overhead serves and strokes.

The internal impingement is located in the inner side of the shoulder and is an effect of a bone to bone contact. When the tendons around this region are compromised and strained with repetitive overuse of injury, it can result in impingement.

Glenohumeral instability

Glenohumeral instability is another main cause of shoulder pain. The Glenohumeral is one of the joints of the shoulder. It’s the ball and socket joint. In simpler words, it’s located around the humeral head. The humeral head is the head of the humerus bone (upper arm).

When a tennis player feels like the shoulder is slipping or when the humeral head does not fit right into the socket (Glenoid fossa), it’s termed glenohumeral instability. This is one of the imbalances that are common in tennis players.

These causes can easily be rectified with “rotator cuff and scapular muscle strengthening and surgical stabilization of the capsulo-labral complex for patients who fail a rehabilitation program” quotes a study on Shoulder Pain in Tennis Players.

Nonetheless, these are the two main causes of shoulder pain.

Other secondary causes can be:

Damage to the rotator cuffs
Damage to the tendons and ligaments around the shoulder joints
Restricted internal rotation of the shoulder caused due to tightening of muscles around the back shoulder

How to treat shoulder pain in tennis players?

Most players suffer from shoulder pain (severe or mild), and early treatment is key to not letting it get worse.

Some causes of shoulder pain in tennis players include overuse injury that turns severe with time. A similar study rightly quotes, “Despite the injury, many players continue playing through pain rather than adjusting their training schedules or taking time off. This often increases injury severity.”

Sports medicine has shown tremendous success in recent years, and there is no way such pain should be tolerated. Even without missing your training, such shoulder pain in tennis players can be minimized and eliminated. The solution is chiropractor sports medicine. One such chiropractic sports medicine suitable for shoulder pain is the Pulsed Energy Replenisher 2000 or the PER 2000.

Depending on the severity of the injury, shoulder pain in tennis players can be treated through two methods:

Through non-operative methods

Non-operative methods are used if the tennis player is injured during a professional tour and cannot take time off.

Such a player is asked to take a rest from overhead activities. The usual non-operative treatments include NSAIDs to reduce inflammation, Corticosteroid injections, platelet-rich plasma as one of the treatments, and being part of a rehabilitation program.

Through operative methods

When the injury is too severe, and a tennis player cannot return to play, surgery is an operative method. The type of surgical method used depends on various factors like the type of injury, severity of the injury, tendon thickness, and more.

PER 2000 is an effective treatment that can become part of a rehabilitation program. It’s also useful in quick recovery after surgery. Pulse Electromagnetic Therapy delivers a pulsed electromagnetic field right into the body’s cells. This energizes the body, just preparing body to deal with pain better and faster recovery.

The PER 2000 is safe and comfortable. It’s used to treat many conditions apart from shoulder pain in tennis players. It’s an effective chiropractic sports medicine technique for treating fractures, plantar fasciitis, sciatica, and even lifestyle problems like poor sleep and depression.

If you are a tennis player suffering from shoulder pain and looking for a sports chiropractor in Austin, contact us today.

The Importance of Proper Warm-Up and Cool-Down for Golf and Tennis Players

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Admin

A highly focused revision right before the exam and a treat right after the paper always boosts our academic performance, doesn’t it? Well, the same applies to sports!

Whether you are a golfer or tennis player, your main aim might always be to get right into your game or practice session. But can we write well in our exam if we do not revise the answers one last time? It’s exactly what happens if we ignore a good warm-up session and jump straight to the game.

But hold on! What are warm-up and cool-down exercises?

Warm-up exercises prepare your body for the workout or activity ahead by increasing your heart rate, blood flow, and muscle mobility. This, in turn, helps to reduce the risk of injury and improves performance. Some warm-up exercises include jogging, jumping jacks, dynamic stretching, and light cardio.

A proper warm up for golf players could include dynamic stretches, such as shoulder rotations, hip rotations, torso twists, and light jogging or jumping jacks. In contrast, a warm up for tennis players may include exercises such as high knees, lunges, and arm circles to prepare their bodies for the repetitive motions of hitting the ball.

On the other hand, cool down exercises are performed at the end of a workout or any sport and are designed to bring your muscles back to their state of rest gradually. They act as a catalyst to prevent dizziness or fainting, reduce muscle soreness, and promote recovery. Some examples of cool-down exercises include static stretching, gentle yoga poses, and so on.

A proper cool down for golf players could include static stretches, such as hamstring and quad stretches, as well as light walking and jogging. Whereas, a cool down for tennis players may include exercises such as calf stretches and shoulder stretches.

Importance of warming up and cooling down exercises

Warming up and cooling down exercises are equally important to help prevent injury and promote overall fitness and health.

Ignoring the importance of warming up and cooling down can lead to a higher risk of injury and decreased performance on the court. Taking just a few minutes before and after your game or practice session to properly prepare and recover can significantly improve your overall performance and well-being.

Additionally, warming up and cooling down can help prepare you mentally for your game or practice session. It gives you a chance to focus on your breathing and mentally prepare yourself for the upcoming physical demands of the sport. It also helps you to relax and clear your mind after playing or practicing.

Warm up and cool down for golf players

Golf is more than just hitting a little ball with a club. To drive that ball across the lush green lawn and towards the smallest, most inconspicuous mark requires great strength and athleticism. You must be strong, flexible, and well-balanced to face the rigors of the underrated sport.

80% of golfers get back pain considering both the swings they do during a round, including all the practice swings. A lot of one-directional redundancy initiates chronic back pain in these players.

Warm-up tips for golf players

For a few minutes, walk briskly until your heart rate is elevated.
You may loosen up your neck and upper back by bringing your chin to your chest and slowly rotating your head in half-circles.
Do some shoulder stretching. Hold a golf club parallel to the ground while maintaining a shoulder-width distance between your hands. Lift the club slowly above your head, keep it there momentarily, and lower it.
Bend to the sides to warm up your torso. To support the weight of your torso, slide a hand down your leg.

Cool down tips for golf players

Simply perform each warm-up activity backward.
Use a supportive carry brace or a golf cart to move your equipment if you carry clubs.
Improve your muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance by engaging in a regular strength and fitness program that involves weight training or aerobic exercises like walking or jogging.
Build up your abs to support your lower back. According to a Canadian study, golfers with strong side abdominal muscles, often known as obliques, experience less back pain.

If you want to strengthen your technique to reduce the risk of injury and enhance performance, consider taking lessons from a certified instructor.

Warm up and cool down for tennis players

Stretching before practice or a match is crucial for tennis players who are constantly on their feet. We advise incorporating these five dynamic warm-up exercises into your program to give yourself a wide stretch and a full-body warm-up.

Tennis warm-up activities

Physically preparing for a match with a warm-up program can help you avoid tennis injuries. The following six exercises might be included in your next warm-up routine:

Jumping rope

During warm-up exercises, jump rope for a few minutes to improve your speed, agility, balance, and coordination. If you don’t have a jump rope, you can still incorporate cardio and shoulder mobility into your warm-up routine by jogging while doing arm circles.

Jumping jacks

This exercise can help you increase endurance while raising your heart rate and getting ready for the various tennis movements you make. Begin by doing two sets of 25.

Shadowing

Try to imitate your typical tennis-related actions and motions for three to five minutes. Practice overheads, volleys, forehands, backhands, and serve motions to mentally and physically prepare for the match.

Knee raises

Tennis calls for intense whole-body movement. Place yourself in a standing position and elevate your knees to your hips. Three sets of knee lifts lasting between 15 and 30 seconds each should be done.

Butt kicks

Knees, glutes, quadriceps, calf muscles, and hamstrings are all worked out during butt kicks, a jump-training activity. Lift your left heel towards your glutes while you are standing still. When you are back upright, elevate your right heel similarly. Three sets of butt kicks should be done for 15–30 seconds each.

Tennis cool-down exercises

The recovery period after a demanding physical activity is commonly called a “cool down.” It’s crucial to allow your body to gradually reduce stress instead of abruptly stopping the stressor. During tennis, the body continuously works to meet every shot’s demands and adapt to the environment.

When the match or practice session ends, the body attempts to return to its normal state, resulting in an instant shock as it is no longer under constant stress. This shock causes the body to decrease adrenaline and tighten up, leading to adverse events like joint stiffness, muscular tightness, cramping, or sensations of lightheadedness/dizziness. Additionally, your extremities may experience excessive coldness as blood rushes back to vital organs.

Staying nourished, keeping moving, and stretching your muscles and joints after playing are essential to prevent these issues. Remember N.M.S. – Nutrition, Movement, Stretch.
For nutrition, replenish lost electrolytes with a sports drink right after playing, followed by a meal containing healthy carbohydrates and lean protein within two hours to repair damaged muscles and replenish energy. Hydrate by drinking about 24 ounces of water for every pound lost while playing within two hours.
For movement, keep moving after playing to prevent muscle and joint stiffness. Gradually decrease the movement during your cool down to ease your body back to normal. Consider going for a short walk, jogging comfortably, or using a stationary bike with minimal resistance to increase circulation and decrease soreness.
For stretching, stretch your muscles and joints for at least 30 seconds each, three times. Incorporate quadriceps, hamstring, butterfly, calf, knees to chest, child’s pose, pec stretch, bear hug, wrist/forearm stretches, and foam rolling. Focus on slow, deep breathing to achieve a deeper stretch.
Your cool-down routine should take about 20-30 minutes, replenishing lost electrolytes, light movement, stretching, and hydration. Afterward, enjoy a nutrient-filled meal to aid in the recovery process.

Final Thoughts

Taking the time to properly warm up and cool down is essential for golfers and tennis players. It helps to reduce the risk of injury, improve performance, and mentally prepare you for your game or practice session. Don’t skip these important steps; you’ll see the benefits in your overall performance and well-being on the course or court.

In addition to performing the right exercises, chiropractic sports medicine also help you improve your performance. To learn more, contact a sports chiropractor in Austin today.

Understanding Common Causes of Elbow Pain in Golf and Tennis Players

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Admin

Do you know 50% of tennis players suffer from tennis elbow during their career? The elbow pain in golf and tennis players is usually caused due to the strain in the elbow tendons through repeated movements. Tennis, much similar to golf, requires repetitive movement of forearm muscles.

Not only tennis and golf but any task that requires rigorous movement can result in elbow pain. This can also trouble people who play violin/guitar for long hours, javelin players, squash players, and others involved in similar activities.

What is epicondylitis?

The term for elbow pain in golf and tennis players is known as ‘epicondylitis.’ But why is it called the same? So, if you look at the image below, you can see the skeletal structure of the left elbow.

Image: https://meded.ucsd.edu/clinicalmed/assets/img/upper_elbow_bones.jpg

Source: medeu.ucsd.edu

The elbow is the part where the forearm and the upper arm join. The forearm is termed as the ulna, and the upper arm bone is called the humerus. On either side of the humerus are two protruding bones, the lateral epicondyle, and medial epicondyle.

Any inflammation or irritation caused to the tendons and muscles attached to this epicondyle is termed epicondylitis.

What is tennis elbow?

Any elbow pain arising from the lateral epicondyle or outside the elbow is lateral epicondyle or the tennis elbow. It’s not usually an inflammation, but a chronic condition wherein tendons are injured, micro ruptured, or have collagen deposits.

The situation arises when the muscles around this area are overworked and weakened.

Some of the common tennis elbow pain causes are:

The main cause is the repeated overuse of the arm movement required while playing tennis.
Playing unnatural and improper tennis strokes also adds to the condition.
A strong tennis stroke that is sudden and forceful also causes the tendons to overstretch and cause the tennis elbow.

Diagnosis of tennis elbow

Tennis elbow is diagnosed when someone is experiencing pain arising from the outer elbow or when you bend your hand. Grasping or lifting items also becomes painful.

How is tennis elbow treated?

Any injury caused by the overuse of muscles can be corrected through proper chiropractic care.

You might not need to take medicines (unless necessary) as chiropractic sports medicine in Austin works wonders on the tennis elbow. The suffering of sports personalities is often overlooked. They are usually able to bear any mild pain resulting from their injuries.

However, some problems related to muscles and tendons can be completely healed through a chiropractic sports medicine known as the Active Release Technique (ART). ART is known for correcting the tennis elbow permanently.

Several studies have also been performed on the efficacy of chiropractic treatment of lateral epicondylitis using ART, and ART has proved to help reduce the pain within three weeks.

One such study quotes, “Treatment consisted of 5 sessions of ART (a soft tissue technique that is applied to muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments, and nerves) applied to the left elbow soft tissue over a duration of 3 weeks. The patient reported an absence of pain and ability to consistently play 18 consecutive holes of golf up to 3 times per week at 4 and 8 weeks post-treatment.”

What is golf elbow?

If the elbow pain arises from the elbow’s inner side, particularly the medial epicondyle, it is termed a golf elbow.

Golf elbow is caused more due to repetitive tight gripping of the hand and wrist turning. The pain in golf’s elbow feels as if it is radiating to the whole arm. Unlike tennis elbow, you may become incapable of holding or gripping things in golf elbow. This is because golf elbow damages the muscles and tendons connected to the fingers and wrists.

Common golf elbow pain causes:

The main cause of golf elbow is sudden overuse of the forearm.
It’s said that golf elbow has nothing to do with the game but is caused due to incorrect use of muscles. Any wear and tear to the tendons on the inside of the elbow. It is even found that golfers are more vulnerable to tennis elbow than golf elbow itself.
It can be caused due to weight training. An incorrect lifting technique can overload the tendons and muscles, causing golf’s elbow.
Throwing sports like javelin, baseball, and archery can also cause golf elbow.

Diagnosis of golf elbow

Golf elbow can be diagnosed when someone experiences excruciating pain in the inner elbow.

How is golf elbow treated?

There is minimal research conducted on golf elbow as compared to tennis elbow. However, the treatment for both elbow pain resulting from tennis elbow and golf elbow is the same because both are caused by the tearing of tendons and muscles (only the impact of pain differs).

Golf elbow is also less common than tennis elbow. A study says not even 1% (0.4%) of the population is affected by golf elbow.

Nonetheless, golf elbow can be eradicated with proper chiropractor sports medicine services like ART or the Active Release Technique. In ART, the chiropractor uses massage movement to release the tension around the tendons and muscles. To learn more about the treatment of elbow pain through chiropractic care, contact us today.

Elbow Discomfort? It Could Be Tennis Elbow!

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Admin

Chiropractic Care for Tennis Elbow

If you have pain or burning on the outside of your elbow that worsens when gripping objects, shaking hands, or performing other tasks that require turning your forearm and underside of your wrist over, you could have tennis elbow – even if you don’t play tennis!

Tennis elbow is a painful condition that results from overuse and repetitive motions utilizing the arms and hands. It can be acute, due to inflammation of the joint, or chronic, due to degenerative microtears in the tendons that attach the muscles to the outside of the elbow.

Its name is misleading because it doesn’t only affect tennis or other racquet-sport players. Baseball players, swimmers, golfers, actually anyone who performs sports or other activities that require repetitive and energetic use of the forearm muscle or repeated extension of the hand and wrist can experience tennis elbow pain.

Repetitive stress causes tendons in the area to become irritated and inflamed, resulting in pain in the bony knob on the outside of the elbow that can even radiate up and down the arm. The area can become so sensitive that even typing on the computer or turning a doorknob is difficult.

Fortunately, sports chiropractic specializes in the prevention and treatment of this type of injury.

Preventing Tennis Elbow

Proper technique and equipment are both important, but conditioning the joint is also helpful. Conditioning exercises for tennis elbow help stretch and strengthen the muscles in the wrist and forearm before play and on recovery days.

Exercises for Tennis Elbow

Forearm Stretch

Get down on the ground on all fours with the fingers pointed back toward the thighs. Lightly press into the ground while gently rocking back and forth. After 30-60 seconds, turn the hands over so the knuckles are face down but the fingers are still pointed toward the thighs (palms up). Make sure not to put your full body weight onto your wrists. You want to apply just enough pressure to feel the stretch in the underside of the arm.

To do this from a standing position, place one arm straight out in front of you and use the opposite hand to stretch the other in both directions: With energy in the working arm, bend at the wrist and point fingers towards the floor. Exacerbate the stretch by using the other hand to gently pull the fingers back toward the forearm. Hold. Next, with the arm still outstretched, point the fingers toward the ceiling and gently pull the fingers back toward the body. Repeat on both sides even if the pain is only on the dominant side.

Wrist Stretch

Tennis balls are a valuable at-home rehab and recovery aid. Not only are they great for massaging out knots in muscles, but they are also an ironically effective tool for strengthening the wrists to prevent tennis elbow. Gripping and releasing the ball for two to three minutes several times throughout the day while gradually building up grip intensity is great for both prevention of, and active recovery from, tennis elbow.

Caring for Tennis Elbow

If you already have elbow pain, it is best to get it evaluated before the injury worsens. Beginning with a thorough assessment of your pain to determine the cause, sports chiropractic care employs a variety of helpful modalities to help relieve it.

Often, chiropractic limb adjustments to the wrist and elbow can reduce inflammation by allowing for greater mobility in the joints.

Electrical pulse stimulation improves blood flow to the area to encourage faster healing, and soft tissue work around the joint breaks up adhesions compressing tendons.

If you think you have tennis elbow, or just suffer from regular elbow pain, contact Dynamic Sports Medicine for an evaluation. We can address existing injuries as well as guide you through exercises for tennis elbow to prevent the initial onset or recurrence of this painful condition.

Most Common Golf and Tennis Injuries

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Admin

Golf and tennis are popular sporting activities for people of all ages. Practically lifelong sports, they both offer great ways to stay both physically and socially active well into retirement. But even though they are less high impact than many other physical pursuits, there is still plenty of possibility for injury. In fact, players of both commonly complain of pain or injury in their elbows, shoulders, backs and knees.

Elbows

Golf and tennis elbow are repetitive use injuries that occur over time. The pain is usually so mild in the beginning that players often ignore it, only to have it eventually become severe enough they can no longer play. While tennis elbow technically refers to pain and inflammation in the outer tendon, and golf elbow to the inner tendon, many golfers get tennis elbow, and vice versa.

Back

Ranging from dull aches to sharp, shooting pains, back issues are another complaint common to players of both sports. Frequently hunching over and/or applying repeated rotational stress can result in muscle strains or tears and even stress fractures. Though not painful all the time, pain from stress fractures may increase with activity.

Shoulder

Whether shoulder impingement syndrome — common with repetitive overhead sports — or a rotator cuff tear, injuries to the shoulder can happen over time or result from acute injury and be the cause of major pain, tenderness and lack of mobility and strength when attempting to lift or use the arm. You might even be aware of snapping and crackling noises when engaging shoulder muscles.

Knee

Frequent bending, twisting, kneeling and jumping on court and course only aggravates age-associated wear and tear on the knee joint. In golf, it usually results from the improper form when teeing off as one or both knees experiences too much torque. In tennis, excessive strain on the patellar tendon results in numerous microscopic but painful tears. Not only does this interfere with game time, but it can also cause pain when bending the knee in daily life as well.

Prevention

To prevent injury, it’s important to adequately stretch and strengthen the major muscles involved in your sport prior to play, to have the right shoes and other equipment, as well to practice to proper technique. Meeting with a golf or tennis pro to have your technique evaluated is a great idea, as is visiting a sports chiropractor who can analyze posture and muscle imbalances that might be affecting play.

Through chiropractic adjustments, massage and innovative sports rehab tools many sports injuries can be prevented and existing ones encouraged to heal. One of my favorite rehab tools is the FreezeSleeve, a revolutionary cold therapy garment used to reduce swelling, inflammation and soreness in joints and muscles. It can be worn as a cold compression sleeve on elbows or knees, or flat against shoulder and back areas.

The sooner you seek treatment for sports-related pain, the better. As a sports chiropractor, my goal is to lower your risk of injury while optimizing your performance to keep you playing the sport you love.