Submitted By Dale S. Snead M.D.
05.08.2009

The balance, coordination, flexibility and stamina that tennis requires make it one of the best overall workouts for individuals at any age. However, tennis is not a game to be taken lightly.

According to The American Journal of Sports Medicine, five injuries occur for every thousand hours of tennis played. One of the most common and painful injuries is tennis elbow, affecting almost half of athletes in racquet sports. Tennis elbow occurs when an individual repeatedly tightens the forearm muscles, which are used to straighten and raise the hand and wrist. People may assume that this injury only affects tennis players but this is not the case. Other outdoor activities that require repetitive and vigorous use of the forearm muscle, such as gardening and painting, can also cause similar elbow injuries.

Fortunately, there are several steps individuals can take to prevent tennis elbow from occurring:

• Stretch and warm up: Before and after a match or practice, it is extremely important to gently stretch and warm up the forearm muscles. Tennis professionals recommend warming up for 35 minutes prior to any tennis match or practice. Forcing a cold muscle to stretch and bend can cause stress on the elbow.

• Use proper technique: Having a skilled tennis coach teach players proper technique is essential to avoiding tennis elbow. Practice makes perfect, therefore it is important to take the time to develop the skills to hit each stroke correctly.

• Build strength: Strengthening exercises are an ideal way to help prevent tennis elbow from occurring. A good strengthening exercise for athletes is to use hand weights and gently bend the wrist while the palm is face down and the elbow is elevated. Athletes should repeat this exercise as often as needed.

• Keep wrists straight: Keeping a straight wrist during a tennis stroke or any repetitive activity allows the larger muscles in the arm to do most of the work. The larger muscles are better designed for taking on stress and force than the smaller forearm muscles.

• Use ice: Proper post-workout care will help prevent tennis elbow from occurring. Applying an ice pack following an exercise routine or tennis match that utilized the arm muscles is beneficial.

The pain of tennis elbow doesn’t have to keep you from enjoying your favorite activities. Rest and over-the-counter pain relievers often help. However, if left untreated, tennis elbow can result in prolonged chronic pain.

It is important to speak to an orthopedic specialist if elbow pain persists beyond a few days, occurs at night or while resting, or if there is swelling or significant bruising around the joint or arm. A doctor may recommend a number of non-surgical options such as physical therapy or wearing an elbow brace. If non-surgical options are not enough to alleviate pain, a doctor may suggest surgery.