Tips To Prevent Tennis Injuries
Each year, more than 78,000 tennis-related injuries are treated in hospitals,
doctors' offices, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers and hospital emergency
rooms.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers the following tips to
prevent tennis injuries:
- Always take time to warm up and stretch. Research studies have shown that
cold muscles are more prone to injury. Warm up with jumping jacks,
stationary cycling or running or walking in place for 3 to 5 minutes. Then
slowly and gently stretch, holding each stretch for 30 seconds.
- Try to avoid playing on hard surface courts with no "give," such
as cement, asphalt, or synthetic courts. To prevent lower back injuries when
playing tennis on hard surface courts, wear heel inserts to absorb the
shock.
- Wear tennis shoes with good support to prevent ankle injuries. For added
support, wear two pairs of socks or specially padded tennis socks.
- To prevent blisters on your hands, dry your racket handle frequently.
- When serving or hitting an overhead, do not arch your back unnecessarily.
Instead, bend your knees and raise your heels, so your upper body weight is
evenly balanced.
- Avoid landing on the ball of your foot, which could result in an Achilles
tendon injury.
- Plantar fasciitis can occur if your foot is overused. Rest is the best
remedy; but wearing a tennis shoe with medial arch support or a heel cup can
sometimes alleviate the pain.
- Be knowledgeable about first aid and be able to administer it for minor
injuries, such as facial cuts, bruises, or minor tendinitis, strains, or
sprains.
- Be prepared for emergency situations and have a plan to reach medical
personnel to treat injuries such as concussions, dislocations, elbow
contusions, wrist or finger sprains, and fractures.
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