Tennis Blog Series: Shoulder Pain
Playing recreational or competitive sports often creates muscle imbalances throughout your body. A “muscle imbalance” refers to a group of muscles in one area of the body being significantly stronger or used more than another group of muscles on the other side of the body. In tennis, a common area where this occurs is in the upper body and shoulder.
The Tennis Shoulder
Many tennis players experience shoulder pain throughout their career. Whether at a professional or recreational level, the repetitive nature of tennis places a lot of stress on the body, particularly the shoulders. While it may seem like the shoulders should get naturally stronger as an athlete plays more, this is not always the case. Muscle imbalances can easily develop with repetitive training. This can cause the scapula (shoulder blade) and the glenohumeral joint (the ball and socket of the shoulder) to move in a way that is not optimal, potentially irritating different structures in and around the shoulder.
Muscle Imbalances
Where are muscle imbalances often found in the shoulder? While there is variation player-to-player, often times the muscles in the front of the chest get tight as a result of constant rotation of the shoulder forward and inward. These movements are known as shoulder internal rotation and scapular protraction. It is important to stretch these tight muscles in the front of the shoulder.
Additionally, the muscles in the back of the shoulder blade and the smaller muscles around the shoulder itself (the rotator cuff) should be trained to counteract and control the forceful tennis swing. At the end of the tennis swing, the rotator cuff and muscles around the shoulder blade need to be strong enough to slow down the arm and racquet.
Without adequate strengthening of these muscles and stretching of the tight muscles, the player may develop compensatory shoulder movement patterns which can become painful over time.
This is not limited to the upper body; muscle imbalances can also develop in the lower body as well. The good news is that stretching and strengthening works very well to improve shoulder pain from playing tennis. If you’re starting to feel shoulder discomfort or would like to rehab or bulletproof your shoulders, schedule an appointment today to improve performance and prevent injury!