The Tennis Player… have you heard about this person? The fanatic, the weekend warrior, the competition obsessed tennis junkie… Tennis players come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing always rings true for each player, they love the game and they hate being put on the sidelines. However, the effect on the body can be devastating, especially over a long period of time.
If you are a tennis player, consider this:
- the shear force that occurs on the joints from regularly planting the foot and pivoting on a hard surface
- how this force translates to distortions throughout the entire body
- the repetitive stress that occurs in the lower part of the body and how it manifests itself throughout the joints (beginning at the ankle, traveling to the knees, then the hips)
- the repetitive motion of the tennis serve (from the rotator cuff to the elbow, to the wrist) and the torque that the serve places on the dominant side of the body
“For some reason, I developed severe neck pain early on in my career from serving, so severe that, at times, I could hardly function. But regular adjustments and modalities (heat, ice and ultrasound) kept me in the game pain-free”, says long time teaching pro, Dave McCain.
It takes patient-specific adjustments and re-education for many players beginning with brief neuro-muscular re-education with both passive and active ranges of motion. Gradually increasing treatment as players become more comfortable with chiropractic care can keep them in the game longer. It is, in fact, a sport that can be played for a lifetime and through your retirement years.
Chiropractic treatments address the lengthening of muscles, the adjustments to joints, the improvement of core stability and the enhancement of bio-mechanical integrity and neurological function. The result for Dave:
“I feel so much better when I am receiving chiropractic care on a regular basis. No more neck pain, no more headaches as a result. Now I know I won’t relapse.”
A true testament to Dave’s belief in chiropractic care can be attributed to the number of patients that he has referred to us over the years. Patients from teenagers to adulthood now receive chiropractic care on a regular basis for a variety of ailments ranging from neuro-musculo-skeletal conditions to headaches. Chiropractic treatments that include the lengthening of muscles, the adjustments to joints, and the improvement of core stability, will enhance bio-mechanical integrity and drive neurological function to the extent that athletic potentials can be met, and capabilities may even be enhanced.
We feel confident that we can help you also!
Dave McCain is a USPTR Certified Tennis Professional and has been teaching the game of tennis to beginners, tournament adults and juniors, college players and professional tennis players for 50 years. He is the former Director of Tennis at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Florida and is currently the Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina and is also the Director of Tennis at Precision Golf & Tennis Academy also in Greensboro, North Carolina.