The most common injury at all activity levels in tennis is rotator cuff tendonitis. Although
the symptoms and signs include tender pain over the anterior and lateral aspects of the
shoulder upon overhead motion, which are relieved at the arm at the side are usually
present. Rotator cuff injuries have been termed "secondary tensile overload injuries,"
because they occur as a result of deficits in muscular strength and balance and of muscular
inflexibility. Treatment starts off with an evaluation of flexibility and strength deficits
that may be present, proceeds with anterior, superior or multidirectional instability.
Conservative treatment that consist of decreased activity, range of motion exercises, and gradual muscle
strengthening of muscle exercises.
Lateral Epicondylitis, also known as "tennis elbow", is a very commom problem in recreational athletes, but a rather infrequent
problem in more accomplished tennis players. This injury occurs occurs most of repetitive overload.
The clinical symptoms and signs are pointare point tenderness in this area, pain upon resisted finger or wrist extension
or forearm supination, pain upon gripping objects, and most commonly on the backhand stroke.
Treatment shoule be pirsued from both improving mechanics and reducing symptoms. Rehabilitation
starts with decreasing painful activities to reduce stress, and antiinflammatory medications.
Strengthening exercise should start at the shoulder and proceed distally, with special emphasis
on all of the deficits of strength, strength imbalance, and flexibility noted in the exam.
Rubber tuning had been found to be a good way to start the strengthening process. Early use of a
counter force brace will decrease the load applied at the site of injury and allow more
vigorous rehabilitation. In addition, its use allows earlier return to play. Steroid injections
have been used in many cases of "tennis elbow." Failure to respond to conservative treatment
will make surgery necessary to regain athletic function.
Just as in other sports in which running, cutting and stopping and starting are major demands, ankle sprains are the most common trauma injury in tennis players. Twisting forces account for most of the injuries. Treatment for the large majority of ankle sprains should be conservative. Relative rest, protection, commonly in a splint, and ice.