Tennis Elbow

Perhaps the most common injury suffered by tennis players is tennis elbow. Some suggest half of all tennis player will suffer this condition during their playing days. Tennis elbow pain and disability shouldn't be something that ends your participation. The painful affliction is often solved through rest, softer strings, shock absorbing racket, shock absorbing grips, high quality string dampener, heavier racket, and the use of a tennis elbow brace.

Tennis elbow can be the result of a subtle or abrupt injury of the muscles leading to the outside of the elbow. The term Tennis elbow specifically involves the area where the muscles and tendons of the forearm attach to the bones on the outside of the elbow. This elbow section is called the lateral epicondyle. Pain on the inside part of the elbow is refered to as golfer's elbow. Those who hit with open stance forehands may be more prone to golfer's elbow which is called medial epicondylitis. It's not impossible to injury both sides of the elbow, and as well the bottom of the elbow via hyperextensions of the elbow during play. Tennis player's fingers, wrists, elbows, and shoulders take quite a beating during a tennis match. Other injuries such as to the rotator cuff or even back inflexibility may be factors in creating awkward body positions when hitting shots. The result is repetitive strain to the outside of the elbow.

The pain of tennis elbow itself is due to tendonitis, an inflammation of the elbow tendons although many experts disagree on the exact cause. The source of pain may include muscle tears, tendon detachment, scar tissue in or under the injury, or inflammation that presses on nerves running through the elbow.

Tennis elbow can be the result of an inappropriate racket for the particular player or via improper stroke execution particularly on the backhand side. This might be due to poor swinging motion or awkward grips on the racket.

Tennis Elbow Brace

The use of a tennis elbow brace is one of the most common solutions for managing tennis elbow pain. These braces come in a variety of structures and materials however their purpose is to strengthen the joint and limit movements that irritate the area further.

If you currently own an old carbon fiber, ceramic, or metal tennis racket, it could generate significant vibration because the fibers have loosened or deteriorated over time. If you hit the ball on the end of these rackets on or near the frame, you may feel the wild vibrations. Those who hit the ball hard with stiff rackets and tight, stiff heavy gauge strings may also suffer because there's less "give" with the arm taking the bulk of the shock.

Best Rackets for Tennis Elbow

Tennis rackets today offer vast improvements in design that help to tune out or deaden racket vibration. Those who have had tennis elbow may tell you that it is worth having a good quality racket and avoiding the possibility of tennis elbow altogether. Tennis elbow takes a lot of the fun out of the game, but tennis is a vital pastime and recreational activity for most and getting back to playing is the wisest move. Of course, you should rest a while and use a racket that controls harmful vibration.

The best rackets for tennis elbow are the Head Crossbow 4, Head MicroGel Pro, and the Babolat Pure Drive series rackets.

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Tennis Elbow

Tennis Elbow

Tennis Elbow Brace

Best Rackets for Tennis Elbow

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