Atlantic Ave March 2017 Edition

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health & beauty ║ pain relief
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Tennis Injuries:
Cutting Edge Treatments and Prevention Strategies
By Dr. John Conde
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is by far one of the most
prevalent injuries in tennis. It is caused by the micro-tearing
of the extensor group muscles of the elbow. These muscles are
located on the thumb side of the elbow and allow us to bring our
wrist back and side to side.
50 March 2017 | www.AtlanticAveMagazine.com
Scar tissue can form in the muscle belly
which can compress important nerves and
blood vessels. It typically occurs secondarily
to the use of an aluminum racquet, incorrect
grip measurement, improper backhand
technique, excess weight of the racquet, and
due to too much tension in the strings.
Rotator cuff tendonitis is also caused
by micro-tearing in the belly of the muscle.
The muscles involved are the rotator cuff
muscles of the shoulder which originate in
the shoulder blade (scapula) and attach to
the upper arm (humerus). Typically we see
this occur with players who serve with an
elbow to side angle of less than 90 degrees.
Due to the improper mechanics of the
serve it typically also requires the player to
serve repeatedly.
A byproduct of the constant running
and cutting in tennis is anterior (front)
knee pain located deep, beneath the knee
cap (patella). The patella fails to track or
move correctly within the knee resulting
in frictional forces applied to the lower femur
bone and subsequent braking off of
small pieces of cartilage. This can lead to
a condition called chondromalacia patella.
Pain is usually experienced when
going up stairs and stopping abruptly
while running.
The primary goals in treating these disorders
are to reduce inflammation, break
up the fibrotic adhesions (scar tissue),
strengthen surrounding musculature and
neurological pathways, and restore proper
joint motion. This entails some simple
procedures including myofascial release,
passive and active mobilization, isometric
and isotonic strengthening, and joint
manipulation (adjustment). New cutting
edge procedures involve the use of high
power class IV lasers which accelerate
tissue healing by nearly tenfold and the
use of mirrors in a technique termed mirror
imaging technique which attempts
to strengthen the neurological and immune
pathways in the affected limb. In
addition, cross cord applications and eccentric
fast stretching are novel procedures
which decrease the healing time.
In terms of nutrition, supplementing
with proteolytic enzymes and essential
fatty acids will help to reduce inflammation
and break down scar tissue. Sticking
to an anti-inflammatory, low glycemic index
diet will also help to reduce inflammation
and insulin surges which can promote
neurological degeneration
Lastly, prevention is the key to avoiding
injury all together. Here are some key
tips to increase your longevity and
effectiveness on the court:
1. Utilize a ceramic or
graphite racquet with reduced
vibration.
2. Choose a lighter racquet-10.5-11.5
oz.
3. Make sure you have a correct
grip measurement.
4. Use natural gut strings,
which have tension 3-5lbs below
what an athlete is used to.
5. Use proper backhand technique.
6. Warm up prior to playing.
7. Focus on core muscle training.
8. Keep your spine in correct alignment.
9. Strengthen lower extremity musculature.
10. Take multivitamin with plenty of
anti-oxidants.
A real cutting edge procedure is termed
motor imaging technique. In essence the
athlete visualizes in sets and repetition format,
a learned movement such as the various
movements on the tennis court. The
visualization must be very detailed in nature.
Scientifically, the neurological pathways
involved in the particular movement
are enhanced and other non-pertinent
pathways inhibited. This activity is gaining
great notoriety as many of the top athletes
in the world are incorporating this into
their treatment regimen.
The Conde Center For
Chiropractic Neurology
401 West Atlantic Avenue, Suite #014
Delray Beach, FL 33444
561-330-6096
www.thecondecenter.com