Repetitive overhead actions in tennis, such as serving, place a considerable amount of strain on your shoulders, says the Nicholas Institute for Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, or NISMAT. The rotator cuff is especially prone to injury as this muscle supports your shoulder joint and has to work particularly hard to stabilize it during the forceful serving motion.
Common Shoulder Injuries
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the repetitive lifting and rotating actions in the tennis serve commonly cause tendinitis and bursitis of the rotator cuff. In these conditions, the rotator cuff tendons and the bursa sac that cushions your shoulder joint become inflamed, which can cause them to get trapped or pinched by the surrounding bones. This causes pain around the top of the shoulder and outer, upper arm. It's also possible to destabilize your glenohumeral joint--where your upper arm bone meets your scapula--due to overuse of the rotator cuff muscles through repetitive tennis serving, says NISMAT. If left untreated, this can lead to a rotator cuff tear, in which one or more tendons partially or fully detach from your upper-arm bone.
Prevention and Treatment
If you play tennis regularly, NISMAT recommends doing strengthening exercises for your shoulder muscles so they are better able to take the repetitive strain of overhead shots like the serve. Stretching is also important because it will help ensure your tendons are flexible and can, therefore, accommodate the full range of movement required when serving. If you have already sustained a shoulder injury, you should first reduce inflammation and pain--usually by applying ice and taking anti-inflammatory medication--before beginning any strengthening and stretching exercises. And if any exercises cause you pain, stop immediately and seek advice from your doctor on how to proceed.
Recommended Stretches
A stretching program for tennis should focus on increasing shoulder rotation, says NISMAT. One way to achieve this is to raise one arm up to shoulder height and bend your elbow to 90 degrees so your forearm is parallel to your body. Use your other hand to gently push your elbow across your body so the raised hand moves back over the opposite shoulder. Hold for 45 seconds and repeat three times on both arms. NISMAT also recommends taking hold of your racquet and dropping it down behind your back so your elbow is pointing towards the ceiling. Take hold of the racquet head with your other hand and gently pull it down towards the floor. Again, hold the stretch for 45 seconds and repeat three times on both arms. For best results, stretch twice a day as well as before and after a match.
Recommended Strengthening Exercises
As well as helping to prevent injury, doing exercises to strengthen your shoulder muscles--ideally, three or four times a week--can make your game more powerful and improve your endurance on the court, says NISMAT. Tie a resistance band to a secure overhead rail and wrap the other end around one hand. Raise the same arm to shoulder height and bend the forearm up to 90 degrees then draw your hand backwards, working against the resistance of the band, and slowly return to the start position. Repeat this exercise moving your hand forwards, and do three sets of 10 repetitions in both directions, on both arms.
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