Pickleball and tennis are fast-paced, high-intensity sports. The repetitive nature of powerful backhands, rapid volleys, and quick directional changes significantly strain your body.
One of the most common injuries? Tennis elbow.
Whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting out, knowing how to prevent tennis elbow and other common injuries is key to staying in the game.
That’s why this article is the first in a 3-part series exploring common injuries in pickleball and tennis, with practical advice on prevention to keep you on the court and out of pain.
For now, let’s dive into what causes tennis elbow. You’ll learn how you can avoid it with smart techniques and 3 simple exercises you can do at home.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) happens when the muscles in your forearm are overworked. The tendons that attach to the outside of your elbow begin to swell, leading to inflammation and pain around the outer side of the elbow.
In both pickleball and tennis, repetitive wrist movements, such as backhands or aggressive volleys, can trigger or worsen the condition. Which is why players with limited wrist range of motion or poor mechanics are at a higher risk.
Symptoms of Tennis Elbow
Look out for these common signs:
- Pain or tenderness on the outer part of the elbow.
- Pain that worsens with wrist or forearm movements, especially gripping or lifting objects.
- Change in grip strength, even with everyday tasks (e.g., holding a racket, turning a doorknob).
- Stiffness or discomfort in the elbow, particularly in the morning.
These are all early signs of tennis elbow and without proper rest and treatment, tennis elbow can lead to chronic pain and reduced function in the elbow and wrist – limiting your ability to play pickleball or perform routine activities.
Key Causes and Risk Factors
Understanding what causes tennis elbow is the first step to prevention.
As a pickleball or tennis player, you repeatedly extend your wrist during backhands or forcefully grip the racket during volleys and serves.
Here’s what to watch out for:
- Poor Technique: Incorrect stroke mechanics increase strain and overload forearm extensor muscles, especially when you lead with your wrist or use the wrong grip size.
- Repetitive Motions: The high volume of strokes you take during practices or matches, especially backhand strokes, place constant stress on the muscles and tendons of the forearm.
- Limited Wrist Mobility: A reduced range of motion in the wrist, often due to tightness or previous injuries, forces your forearm to overcompensate and increases the chance of overuse.
- Weak Grip Strength: Insufficient strength in the wrist and forearm muscles increases the load on tendons, causing strain.
But you’re not just at risk on the court. Activities like manual labor, computer work, and weightlifting are also common contributors to tennis elbow:
- Manual Labor: Professions that involve repetitive wrist movements, such as carpentry, painting, or plumbing, are prone to tennis elbow.
- Computer Use: Frequent typing or mouse use, especially with poor ergonomics, leads to repetitive strain in the forearm tendons.
- Weightlifting: Exercises that rely heavily on your grip, such as deadlifts or curls, place excessive stress on the extensor tendons if proper form isn’t maintained.
Anatomy of Tennis Elbow and What’s Happening in Your Arm
Tennis elbow affects the extensor muscles of the forearm, which originates from the bony prominence on the outside of the elbow. The most commonly affected muscle is the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB), a small muscle responsible for extending and stabilizing the wrist during hand and finger movements.
- Lateral Epicondyle: The bony area on the outer side of your elbow where the extensor muscles attach via tendons.
- Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis (ECRB): This muscle plays a key role in stabilizing your wrist when extending your elbow. Activities that require this stability (such as hitting a tennis ball or performing manual tasks) lead to strain and microtears in the ECRB tendon.
Repetitive stress causes tiny tears in the tendons that attach to the lateral epicondyle (the outer elbow bone), leading to inflammation, pain, and if untreated, tendon degeneration.
Best Exercises To Prevent Tennis Elbow (or get out of pain)
Incorporating targeted exercises into your routine is essential to prevent tennis elbow. These 3 simple, effective movements build strength, improve flexibility, and reduce strain on your forearm and wrist.
Already in pain?
These exercises also help ease pain and speed up your recovery from tennis elbow.
Make these exercises a regular part of your training to help you stay active and enjoy the activities you love without pain.
#1 Active Wrist Extension Mobilization
This gentle mobilization targets tight wrist extensors to help improve flexibility and reduce stiffness.
- Start with your wrist flat on the ground, palm facing down.
- Slowly lift your fingers and hand upwards while keeping the forearm still.
- Gently rock your forearm back and forth to create tension.
- Repeat 10-15 times
#2 Wrist Extension Eccentrics
This exercise focuses on lengthening the forearm muscles under load, aiding in repairing damaged tissue and improving tendon health.
- Use a light dumbbell or resistance band.
- Gently resist as you lower your wrist from a flexed position to an extended position.
- Focus on controlled, slow movements.
- Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
#3 Extended Flare to Flexed Fist
This movement engages the wrist and finger extensors, enhancing grip strength and improving overall forearm function.
- Begin with your hand open, fingers spread wide.
- Slowly pull your fingers into a fist as you come into extension of the wrist.
- Then as you come back down, extend your fingers as you spread them apart again.
- Complete 3 sets of 15 reps (on each hand).
Prevent Tennis Elbow: Stay Strong and Play Longer
Consistent training to strengthen your muscles around the elbow and improve wrist mobility will help you avoid tennis elbow. But remember, tennis elbow is not just a condition for athletes. It can affect anyone whose daily activities involve repetitive wrist or forearm motions.
By refining your technique, building strength, and following these exercises, you can prevent tennis elbow and keep doing what you love – whether dominating the pickleball court, smashing it in tennis, or excelling at your desk job.
And this is just the beginning…
In the next part of this series, we’ll explore common wrist and shoulder injuries in tennis and pickleball – and how to prevent them.
Don’t let injuries slow you down. Stay tuned for more tips and techniques to keep you active and performing your best. And don’t hesitate to reach out if you need professional help!
