Why Badminton Players Get Tennis Elbow?

June 15, 2010

What is Tennis Elbow?
 
The term “Tennis Elbow” is commonly used to describe pain located at the lateral aspect of the elbow. It is usually caused by overuse of muscles at the elbow that produces wrist extension (namely the extensor carpi radialis brevis – the ECRB), which leads to small tears and scarring of the muscles.

Signs and Symptoms
 
Interestingly, many people suffer from Tennis Elbow don’t actually play tennis. It could happen to any individuals whose daily activities involve repetitive wrist extension or hand gripping, such as badminton or squash players, typists, or sewers.
 
Symptoms of this condition may include:
  • Diffuse pain over lateral elbow just below the lateral epicondyle;
  • Reduced grip strength;
  • Reduced ability to lift a heavy object; or
  • In racquet game players, reduced ability to perform a backhand.
  • Some people with tennis elbow also experience tingling sensation or numbness spreading over the forearm and hand.
What else may cause elbow pain?

It is important the Tennis Elbow is diagnosed correctly for the proper treatment. Other causes of medial /lateral elbow pain may include nerve entrapment, ligament strain, radiohumeral joint synovitis, radiohumeral joint bursitis, or pain referred from neck. Your medical professional will be able to perform tests eliminate the other possible diagnosis.
 
The other side of the coin
 
Golfer’s Elbow, on the other hand, refers to pain on the inside of the elbow. The pathology and treatment of this condition are similar with Tennis Elbow except that the muscles involved now are located on the inside of the elbow.

How it is treated
 
Treatment of Tennis Elbow usually starts with control of the pain, such as:
  • Therapeutic ultrasound, heat-retaining braces;
  • Soft tissue therapies like deep tissue massage, trigger point treatment, myofacial release;
  • Stretching of the tight wrist muscles;
  • Specific mobilization techniques combined with gripping exercises;
  • Taping, corticosteroids injection, and acupuncture are sometimes helpful;
  • Neck and nerve mobilization can also be considered if necessary.
Strengthening of the wrist muscles can be initiated soon after the pain is better controlled. Muscles that produce wrist extension or wrist flexion need to be both addressed.
  • Focus should be put to achieve good control of the wrist to prevent wrist from functioning at extreme ranges, either into extension or flexion;
  • Racquet technique needs to be carefully assessed to correct any technical faults, especially wrist arm control in back hand strokes;
  • Encouraging gripping that focuses on hand muscles (the Duck grip), rather than gripping that only focuses on forearms muscles (the Finger grip).

Stretches For New Runners

March 20, 2010

It is important to include some stretching exercises before your running routine. If done correctly, stretches can help to improve your flexibility and joint range of motion, and can decrease your risk of injury to joints, muscles, and tendons while running. In this article, we will show you top 5 stretches to do before a run.

Disclaimer: Note that stretching is not warming-up. It is a common misconception that warming-up equates to stretching. ‘Warming-up’ literally means raising your core body temperature. It is advised that before you begin on your stretches and run, a general warm-up such as brisk walking between five to ten minutes be performed to prevent injury to your ‘cold’ muscles. (see To stretch or not to stretch before an event?

Top 5 stretches:

Hamstrings Stretch

  • Start off with your body close to your thigh and your knee about 90 degree
  • Straighten the knee gently while keeping your body close to your thigh
  • Hold for 15 seconds and repeat 3-5 repetitions

 

Calf Stretch

 Upper Calf stretch

  • Place hands on front thigh, with one leg to rear
  • Keep the rear leg straight and foot flat with toes pointing forwards
  • Bend the front leg and feel the stretch through the rear leg
  • Hold the stretch for 15 seconds and repeat 3-5 repetitions.
Lower Calf Stretch

  • Place hands on front thigh, putting your weight on your rear leg
  • Keep the rear foot flat with toes pointing forwards
  • Bend rear knee forward over rear foot and feel for the stretch over the lower calf
  • Hold the stretch for 15seconds and repeat 3-5 repetitions

 

Quadriceps Stretch

  • In standing, bend your knee and take your heel towards your bottom, keeping your back straight until you feel a stretch in the front of your thigh
  • To further stretch the front of your thigh, extend your thigh and bring your heel closer towards your bottom
  • Feel for the stretch at the front of your thigh
  • Hold the stretch for 15seconds and repeat 3-5 repetitions
     

Iliotibial Band (ITB) Stretch

  • To stretch the IT band of your right leg, stand with your right leg crossed behind your left.
  • Put your weight on the right leg and lean your body towards the left. You should be able to feel the stretch in your hip and down the IT band along the right side of your right thigh
  • Hold for 15 seconds and repeat 3-5 repetitions

 

Glueteus (Buttock) Stretch

  • Sitting on the floor with one leg straight out, bend the other knee and place the foot over the straight leg
  • Using your hands, gently bring the bent knee up towards the opposite shoulder. Feel for the stretch in the buttock
  • Hold the stretch for 15 seconds and repeat 3-5 repetitions.

Tips to Run Pain Free

January 10, 2010

Recently our physiotherapist, Lenia, was featured in Shape magazine Jan 2010. Here is an excerpt from the article.

Shin splints are caused by weak shin muscles or faulty running biomechanics while plantar fasciitisis the result of tight calf muscles that reduce the foot's ability to absorb shock. Here are some tips to stay on track.  Read more

Stretches for Swimmers

October 23, 2009

Muscle flexibility is very important in swimming as events are won by milliseconds. A flexible body will help to improve your swimming performance by achieving maximal propulsion from each stroke. Here are some recommended stretches that can be done to improve your flexibility. Read more

Exercises for Ankle Sprain

September 22, 2009

Following our article on the most common ankle sprain, this article focuses on the rehabilitation exercise that will help with an ankle sprain.

Rehabilitation

Proper rehabilitative exercise is crucial in ensuring that new tissues are laid down and aligned properly during the healing phase. Rehabilitation exercise should comprise of four components: (i) range of motion exercises, (ii) progressive muscle-strengthening exercises, (iii) proprioceptive/ balance training, and (iv) activity-specific training.

Below are some recommended exercises that you can do at home. It is necessary to progressively increase the intensity of these exercises. Discuss with your sports physiotherapist so that they can progress you safely. Read more

What can i do for a hamstring “pull”

August 31, 2009

Pulling one’s hamstring is one of the most common soccer injuries and the most common cause is the lack of proper stretching before playing. When one says that they pull their hamstring, what it means is that one has strained or slightly torn their hamstring. Most soccer players think that by just resting for about 2-4 weeks without playing is all that is required to recover. However, this is not true. If you do nothing about the strain, you are at a higher risk of sustaining the same injury.
Read more

TRX Suspension Training

August 9, 2009

Back2Sports was recently interviewed about TRX (Straits Times, 8 August 2009, ‘Traveling Gym’). We basically said that it is a great way to increase the intensity of your exercises but we strongly recommend close supervision during the early stages of training.

Read more

Warning! Is this how you stretch your hamstring?

August 5, 2009

Stretch A may aggravate your pain if you have a history of lower back nerve injury. When you bend from your hip with your knee straight the tension is at the back of your thigh, behind the knee. This focuses on the lower hamstrings and also pulls onto the sciatic nerve which originates from the lower back.

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How to choose a Swiss-Ball

April 22, 2009

The Swiss ball has been with us for a long while, since 1963 to be exact. It was invented by Aquilino Cosani, an Italian plastics manufacturer. Swiss balls today are almost de-riguer in gyms and it is not unusual to spot one in place of a chair at work or at home. But with so many choices available, buying one can be a daunting. So how does one go about choosing a Swiss ball?

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Beighton Scoring System

November 14, 2008

The Beighton Score is a simple validated system used to quantify joint laxity and hypermobility. If you think you may have hypermobility, you can check your Beighton Score using the table below

Read more

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