Your hips and surrounding muscles generate a great deal of force that powers your tennis swing, therefore, causing significant and repetitive stress on your hips. This can lead to hip pain and injuries like a muscle strain, tendinitis and stress fracture. Weak hip muscles, previous hip injuries and poor swinging mechanics can increase your risk for hip pain. Treatment may include rest, ice, stretches and over-the-counter pain medications. Consult your physician for worsening or persistent hip pain.
Causes & Injuries
Overtraining, twisting awkwardly during a tennis swing or falling can lead to hip injuries including a torn hip muscle, tendinitis, a bruise, arthritis and femoral neck stress fracture. A femoral neck stress fracture is a small crack in the top of your thighbone caused by repetitive stress. Piriformis syndrome and iliotibial band friction syndrome are overuse injuries that can result in hip pain as well. Piriformis syndrome is when your piriformis muscle, which is located underneath your gluteus muscles, tightens and compresses your sciatic nerve. Iliotibial band syndrome is when your Iliotibial band, which is on the outside of your hip and thigh, becomes tight and inflamed. Additional hip injuries include ligament sprains, torn cartilage and bursitis, which is inflammation of your bursa sac.
Additional Symptoms
Your hip pain may be described as sharp, achy or radiating. Besides hip pain you may experience muscle weakness, joint stiffness and swelling. Additional symptoms include point tenderness over the injury site, catching, clicking and popping. Tennis and other physical activities requiring hip movement can further aggravate your symptoms. With piriformis syndrome, you may also get tingling sensations around your hip and going down your leg. Iliotibial band friction syndrome can cause knee pain as well as hip pain, too.
Treatment
Initial treatment includes rest, ice, compression and elevation. Take over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen to alleviate any residual pain. If you have a femoral neck stress fracture, use crutches while walking to reduce pain and promote healing. Stretch your hip muscles, such as your piriformis muscle and abductor muscles, if you have piriformis syndrome, Iliotibial band friction syndrome or tendinitis. Additional treatments your physician may recommend include corticosteroid injections, physical therapy, massage therapy and surgery.
Prevention
According to a 2006 article published in the newsletter "High-Performance Coaching," proper swing mechanics play a significant role in preventing hip injuries. Areas to improve include your foot position, hip rotation and coordination, or timing. For further guidance, consult your coach or personal trainer. Allow plenty of recovery time between tennis practices and matches to avoid overtraining. Stretch before and after playing tennis to maintain your flexibility. Lastly, include strength-training exercises like squats and lunges in your exercise routine.
References
- "American Family Physician"; Iliotibial Band Syndrome; 2005
- "Australian Family Physician"; Hip Pain; Peter Braun; June 2007
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; Osteoarthritis of the Hip; July 2007
- "The Journal of Osteopathic Association"; Diagnosis and Management of Piriformis Syndrome; Lori A. Boyajian-O'Neill et al.; November 2008
- "High-Performance Coaching"; The Relationship Between Stroke Mechanics and Injuries in Tennis; Todd S. Ellenbecker, D.P.T., M.S., S.C.S., O.C.S., C.S.C.S.; 2006
