Ergonomic Resources
Seasonal Tips to prevent injury
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Understanding, Preventing and Treating Common Tennis Injuries Tennis injuries occur in all types of athletes (young, old, beginner and advanced). While traumatic injuries can’t be avoided, overuse and strain injuries can be significantly reduced and avoided with the correct conditioning, flexibility, early intervention and good form. Warm up stretching and activity is recommended for limiting strain to the various muscles, tendons and ligaments of the shoulder. It is especially helpful when you feel the signs of overuse. We will review common injuries of the upper extremity, why they occur and what can be done to minimize the effect on the tennis athlete. A brief review of the anatomy of the upper extremity will be helpful in identifying the source of your pain. Common upper extremity injuries Common upper extremity injuries in tennis include; shoulder syndromes including impingement and rotator cuff tendinitis, tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) and wrist sprain and strains. • Shoulder Syndromes; in my experience there are two major shoulder overuse syndromes in those who play tennis, rotator cuff syndrome and impingement syndrome. Rotator cuff syndrome can also lead to impingement syndrome. When considering the role of shoulder in the tennis swing, it is helpful to first analyze the movements involved. Internal and external rotation, shoulder abduction and adduction all occur. The rotator cuff is responsible for internal and external rotation, shoulder blade retractors and rear deltoid are responsible for abduction and pectoralis and front deltoid are responsible for adduction. Movement occurs not only at the ball and socket of the shoulder but at the shoulder blade as well. Overuse and fatigue can affect movement (decrease), and lead to a tendinitis in the rotator cuff tendon. Impingement syndrome is a pinching of the tendon between the bones in the shoulder, which occurs after the tendon is inflamed. Poor form will typically lead to an overuse problem, and as such proper instruction is another way to avoid injuries. • Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis); anatomically, the lateral elbow is the attachment site for all the muscles that extend the wrist and fingers; they also play a role in the grip of the racket. Overuse, fatigue, muscle shortening and poor form can place a constant pressure on the tendon insertion causing inflammation. Poor form would include but not be limited to “stressful gripping of a racket and poor body positions with the greater involvement of the forearm extensor muscles” (Therminarias, 2001 ). In my own practice I have found that trauma can sometimes precipitate a tendinitis at the elbow, if sufficient healing time is not allowed before returning to activity. Daily living activities can also complicate tennis elbow; as most of us have more than just tennis to contend with on a daily basis. Lastly, old injuries of the forearm muscles and related scar tissue formation can contribute to overuse and fatigue of the forearm extensors, again leading to epicondylitis. Braces that support the tendon can be helpful while undergoing rehab; however they should not be used for long periods of time. • Forearm strains; certain wrist shots will load the forearm muscles past their anatomical boundaries and cause tears in the muscle fibers. Common treatment of tennis injuries Common treatment of tennis injuries should always address inflammation first. In our office we restore movement, decrease spasm and strengthen with the following techniques. • R.I.C.E. Protocol; rest, ice, compression and elevation will aid in decreasing inflammation in any acute (just injured) trauma. • Modalities; electric stimulation, ultrasound and contrast therapy improves circulation decreases spasm and decreases pain. • Facilitated stretching; injured muscles will protect from further injury by limiting movement; while temporarily beneficial, it eventually needs to be addressed. Passive stretching techniques have been extremely effective in our office. • Manual therapy; there are a variety of muscle techniques available to improve the healing response in soft tissue injuries. These techniques have been invaluable in our office, when treating our patient athletes. At Kinetx we use the latest techniques in manual therapy, rehabilitation and sports medicine. We typically see athletic injuries as well as overuse injuries. Most patients can be helped immediately and all patients are educated on how to alter or avoid future problems. 1. Therminarias, A. (2001) Tennis: Physiology, Training, Injuries. Laboratoire de Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine de Grenoble, 38.700 La Tronche, France. |
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| Gardening tips to avoid muscle strain Gardening involves a tremendous amount of muscular activity, just like a sport, you would never play a sport without stretching first. There is extensive bending involved and gardening is especially hard on the back and legs. If muscles are stiff when they're put to work they get strained. Working with cold back and hamstring muscles is especially dangerous. Cold hamstrings put an extra strain on back muscles. Cold back muscles tend to twist the vertebrae, which can pinch nerves and cause sciatica. Gardeners are also frequent victims of tennis elbow, another problem that can be avoided by doing some simple arm and wrist stretches. Incorporate some warm-ups beforehand, walk around the yard, do tai chi or stretch for 5 to 10 minutes. This will allow blood flow to the muscles, making them more limber. It's especially important for people with osteoarthritis to limber up before they start working in the garden. Arthritis makes joints swollen and stiff and some arthritis sufferers have trouble bending, knelling, and gripping handles. Stretching helps gently mobilize the joints and makes the tasks that follow easier to perform and even light gardening can help improve arthritis. Studies have shown that gentle exercise can help relieve arthritic pain and slow down the progression of the disease. Once you are limbered up, there are plenty of ways to take some of the physical effort out of gardening. Many people plant raised beds to take the strain off of their back. You can sit or kneel next to them, or if you decide to stand, you don't need to bend down as far to reach the plants. Gardening expert Marjorie Harris swears by ergonomic hand tools. They're light weight and have bent handles, which reduces the stain on wrists by keeping them in a neutral position. Long handled tools can also help keep bending to a minimum. Harris favors a 36 inch garden claw with attachments, planting bulbs and loosening soil. |