Playing tennis was supposed to help you get out of the house and be more active. Yet you’ve reached a point where every tennis session leaves you with pain in your shoulder.
The good news is that you aren’t alone. Medical researchers estimate that 24% of tennis players who are between 12 and 19 years old develop shoulder pain. They also report that half of all middle-aged players will develop shoulder pain. Why is it that so many tennis players develop shoulder pain? Physical therapists can help answer this burning question.
What is it about playing tennis that can lead to shoulder pain?
There are many factors that can leave your shoulder hurting after playing tennis. Some of these include:
- Poor swing mechanics — Swinging your tennis racket allows you to hit the ball harder and faster. But it can also put more strain on your shoulder and elbow if your swing is out of whack.
- Poor body mechanics — Many parts of your body are involved in hitting a tennis ball. Your feet should be properly positioned, and your leg and torso muscles should be adding force to your hit. If these mechanics aren’t being used, the result can be overworking your shoulder.
- Too many matches — People who are just getting into a sport have a tendency to do too much too quickly. After all, sports are fun to play, and this fact can blind us to how much effort they require. Putting in more effort than you’re used to can often lead to increased stiffness and pain.
How can physical therapists help with your shoulder pain?
Tennis players don’t have to continue living with chronic pain in their neck, shoulders or other body parts. You can work with a physical therapist to reduce your pain. A physical therapist can help you:
- Develop an exercise program to help you warm up before and cool down after a match.
- Improve shoulder range of motion using techniques like joint mobilization.
- Reduce pain with therapy methods like soft tissue mobilization or aquatic therapy.
- Build strength in your legs, butt and core to help reduce tennis-related shoulder strain.
Excel PT offers effective treatment for sports-related shoulder pain
Easing and preventing shoulder pain from playing tennis or other sports are worthy goals. Our team at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy is eager to help you meet these and other sports-related goals. Our free screenings allow us to pinpoint the source of your pain. Then, our top-notch physiotherapists can build you a custom treatment plan designed to reduce your pain as rapidly as possible and help prevent it from returning.
Contact our team today for more information about how we can assist athletes or to schedule an initial appointment to start treating your pain.
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