Tennis Performance

By Emily Kolar, PT, DPT & Michael Yorio, M.D.

It is essential to find the proper health care provider in tennis medicine who understands the biomechanics, language, and equipment to enhance one’s performance. Individualized tennis rehabilitation programs focus on injury prevention and injury management. The Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute (JOI) Sports Center offers tennis programs developed by Dr. Michael Yorio, M.D., to work with players. Dr. Yorio, a Sports Medicine provider, has completed extensive research on tennis and has been a member of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Sports Science Committee for years.

Tennis is one of the most popular sports played around the world. It’s played at recreational and competitive levels. Tennis can be played at any age, therefore typically becoming a lifelong sport. The older tennis population tends to have injuries found more in the upper extremities, and the tennis younger population is found in the lower extremity and back.

Common Tennis Injuries include:

• Upper or lower extremity injury.
• Shoulder impingement.
• Tennis elbow, AKA Lateral epicondylitis.
• Back pain, sprain/strain.
• Knee injury.
• Ankle injury.
• Overuse injury.
• Tendinopathy.

Injury Prevention

Ensuring players have the proper equipment important. The appropriate racquet for the player is crucial. Assessing one’s skill level and position will help determine specific training goals.

The screening will include:

• Medical Handout.
• Tennis Performance and Injury Information.
• High-Performance Profile Testing (HPP).

The High-Performance Profile is a general physical prep program. It includes 10 examinations to screen for potential injury risk factors. The series of tests will evaluate muscular strength and flexibility deficits.  Theorizing why the individual has had a previous injury or is at risk for a future injury will help determine interventions to utilize.

Management

Tennis medicine uses screening findings and performance testing results collected to manage tennis player’s risk of injury. In addition, performance testing can determine why a player is unsuccessful during games.

Performance testing will assess:

• Quickness, foot speed.
• Speed, agility.
• Power, serve strength, rotational power.
• Flexibility, abduction angle.
• Endurance, fatigue.

Findings will correlate with injury causation and risk of future injuries. Assessing test results, identifying risk factors, addressing deficits, and continued monitoring will improve one’s performance. Players setting specific goals and working towards them will increase program adherence.

 Rehabilitation

The implementation of an individualized tennis-specific rehabilitation program to pinpoint target deficits is a useful first step. Rehab will focus on impairments found from testing results and physical therapy evaluation. Therapists use evidence-based practice and research to determine interventions.

Impairments/Findings:

• Range of Motion.
• Flexibility.
• Strength.
• Endurance.

Therapeutic exercises, manual interventions, and modalities will be used during treatments. Assessments throughout treatments will be used to ensure one is progressing towards their goals.

Performance Enhancement

This tennis program’s objective is to improve one’s performance and reduce injury risks by utilizing this clinically proven model. These interventions aim to enhance a tennis player’s success and reach their goals to continue playing this lifelong sport.  To schedule with JOI Rehab for tennis injuries, please call 904-858-7045.

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For more information visit joionline.net or click below to make an appointment.

By: Michael Yorio, M.D., Emily Kolar, PT, DPT