When playing tennis, your tennis racquet is an extension of your arm. You need a powerful swing and a strong serve to win the match--but these can take a toll on your shoulder over time. Should pain and tenderness is a common injury associated with playing tennis. However, you can take steps to reduce pain post-match and prevent further injury to the shoulder.
Significance
Your shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint, which means the rounded head of the arm fits into the cup-like socket of the shoulder joint. Muscles and tendons attach to the shoulder to help your arm move, but these can be particularly weak after the repetitive motions of tennis, including the overhead smash and high forehand stroke. This can lead to a condition known as tennis shoulder where the muscles and tendons become tightened with each hit. Tennis players tend to have strong front shoulder muscles, but weaker rotator cuff muscles, which are in the back of the shoulder. If you experience shoulder soreness after a tennis match or practice, the pain may continue to develop over time if left untreated.
Stretching
One of the methods to prevent and treat shoulder soreness from tennis is to stretch the shoulder before and after a match. Examples include reaching the arm across your shoulders, which stretches the rotator cuff muscles. Reaching your hand behind your back, touching the front of your hand to your lower back, also can help to stretch the shoulder capsule. Reaching your tennis racquet behind your head, pointing the racquet down, also helps to stretch the shoulder and relieve soreness.
Treatment
If you experience a sore or painful shoulder after playing tennis, take steps to relieve inflammation. This includes icing your shoulder or taking an anti-inflammatory medication including ibuprofen. These will help to reduce redness and blood flow to the area that causes pain. Rest also is beneficial for your shoulder: wait a few days between tennis sessions to give the muscles and tendons in your arm time to rest and heal.
Warning
While a sore shoulder due to tennis will likely subside with rest and over-the-counter treatment, there are some circumstances that necessitate a physician's treatment. If you experience a constant feeling of weakness when you hit the ball in a certain position, this can indicate tendon weakness in the shoulder. If pain does not subside after two to three weeks of at-home treatment, this also can indicate more serious injury. You also should constantly feel the shoulder for any abnormalities that could indicate a more serious injury.
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