Tennis allows players to maintain a high level of physical fitness and social wellbeing

At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we love tennis because it is a holistic wellness activity that can be enjoyed by families and people of all ages and abilities. While it is considered a low-impact sport, especially in comparison to sports like football, some estimates still say that up to 65% of players will suffer an injury in a given year. The most common tennis-related injuries include:

• Tennis elbow 
• Shoulder tendinitis
• Sprained ankles
• Back sprains 
• Disc-related injuries

At our office in Dunedin, we want to help people keep injury at bay so they can retain a high level of happiness on the court. 

The nature of tennis injuries

Tennis is a sport with a low risk for injury- that being said, the most common injuries are due to repetitive trauma. Because you tend to repeat the same motions many times, certain parts of the body receive more stress than others, making these parts more vulnerable to injury. As mentioned above, these points in the body include the shoulders, ankles and spinal joints.

• The ballistic movements involved in the serve are akin to the motions repeatedly made by football quarterbacks and baseball pitchers.
• Twisting motions place stress on the spinal joints and the swivel effect involved on a power strike places an inordinate amount of stress on the ankles. 
• Start-and-stop motions, such as the plant and pivot of your feet when positioning yourself and striking the ball.

Put together, these collective forces increase both the local and systemic stress throughout the body, leaving you vulnerable to injury from repetitive trauma. 

Chiropractic for tennis players in Dunedin

Chiropractic for tennis players focuses on injury prevention and treatment. We use adjustments to maintain the alignment and proper function of joints in the upper and lower extremities, as well as the joints in the spine. We provide you with tennis-specific stretches that focus on the parts of your body which need the most support, and teach you about proper body mechanics, especially in relation to: 

• Serve and hit technique
• How to effectively warm up and cool down
• Plant-and-pivot movements with the feet

With the help of chiropractic, you can become an even more effective tennis player, but more importantly, one who suffers less injuries. Give our office in Dunedin a call to schedule an appointment today.