Tennis elbow is a pretty common injury and it can appear during work or all kinds of other sports. As we are more interested in tennis than anything else, we’ll focus on finding out how to prevent tennis elbow.
What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow is a repetitive strain injury that can be incredibly painful. The good news is that you can prevent it, or at the very least, lessen the chances of it occurring. Here is how to prevent tennis elbow.
How to Prevent Tennis Elbow When Playing Tennis
Use the Right Tennis Equipment.
One of the main reasons that tennis elbow can occur can be traced to using the wrong racket. It is important to get professionally fitted with a racket to ensure that it is the proper size for you.
Most sporting goods stores will be able to help you pick a racket that has the right size and the right grip, based on your age/height. Ideally, if you are interested in playing tennis professionally or more than just every once in a while, you would need to ask your tennis coach if he/she can recommend a good tennis racket.
If you are playing with a racket that is too heavy for you, too tightly strung or with a too wide grip, it is possible to stress your elbow joint and end up with tennis elbow.
Stretch Beforehand.
Although tennis elbow is a repetitive injury, you can reduce the chances of having it occur by taking the time to warm up your joints properly.
Learn the right exercises to do before you play and remember not to play too long. Several hours of tennis will hurt even the best players and can put too much stress on your joints. It is better to keep your sessions shorter than risk having to deal with this injury.
Wear a brace.
If you already have a problem with tennis elbow, or if you will be playing for extended periods of time, wearing a brace can reduce the amount of stress on that joint. You may want to have your doctor prescribe a specific brace and get one that is properly fitted to make sure that it will work the way it was intended.
Practice Using Good Form.
Tennis elbow can be exacerbated by improper form. If you are new to the sport, it is important to get at least one lesson from a pro to start off with, and then to follow up with one from time to time to make sure that you are using the right form. This can greatly reduce your risk of becoming injured.
If you train more often, make sure to keep a good form, as instructed.
Play Less.
Sadly, for many players, the only way to prevent tennis elbow from flaring up is to limit how often they play the game. This is usually the case for those with severe cases, or for those that have been playing tennis for many years. In this case, playing less may be your only option.
While tennis elbow is common among professional players, there are ways that it can be prevented. If you are noticing increasing pain in your elbow joint, it is best to contact your doctor and schedule a checkup. They will be able to make further recommendations that will help you stay pain free and help you get back into the game again.
