How to keep your game going…

 

With the Summer season well upon us, here at Orchard Clinic we have started seeing more clients complaining of injuries related to tennis. Some of these include:

Types of Injury

Shoulder pain:

• Rotator cuff impingement
• Rotator cuff tear

Lower back pain

Wrist sprain

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Knee pain such as:

• Patella tendonopathy
• Medial collateral ligament sprain

Calf strain

Sprained ankle

Cramp

 

Advice following injury 

 

In the past most physios offered advice relating to RICE, Rest, Ice, Compression and elevation. Things have moved on and the approach to sports injuries can be helped by following advice relating to POLICE or PRICE.

• Protection: splints, taping, crutches, modifying activity
• Optimal Loading/Rest: load the tissues relative to their state of injury and repair
• Ice: cold compress, cold water immersion
• Compression: strapping, compression garments
• Elevation: place injured part higher than the heart

Following the above can help to manage the initial stages if joint or tissue swelling.

 

Pain killers

If you can, then take pain killers such as paracetamol to control pain.  Regarding the use of Anti-inflammatories, these should be used sparingly in the first 5-7 days after the injury.  It is important to allow the body to heal and the inflammation process is the bodies way of doing so.

It is important that joint or tissue swelling is managed, but this can be done by following the above.

 

Physiotherapy

If you have concerns please book an appointment at Orchard Clinic and we can give you a thorough assessment to diagnose the injury and manage the symptoms. It is then important that to enable you to return to tennis, you start a rehab program which usually consists of exercise relating to joint and soft tissue mobility, muscle strength and progression to power based exercise, finishing with sports specific drills to return you back to tennis before the sessions stops.

If you have any queries about the above injuries please have a look on our website or better still give us a call at Orchard Clinic on 01727 855414.  We can help you get back to your game safely.