Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists (SOS) recently recognized May as National Tennis Month, an initiative led by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to celebrate and promote the sport of tennis across the country. The campaign encourages players of all ages and skill levels to engage with the game and enjoy its many health benefits. Tennis is a lifelong sport that supports an active, healthy lifestyle. Like any athletic activity, however, it comes with some risk of injury and SOS surgeons have extensive experience treating tennis players at every level.
Swinging a tennis racquet repetitively, especially overhead activity including serving, can lead to inflammation of tendons with prolonged, painful symptoms. Tennis shoulder, less known than tennis elbow, can arise from the repetitive and forceful arm movements, overuse, and potential muscular imbalances. Additional common shoulder injuries include impingement, rotator cuff tears, and SLAP lesions.
Repetitive stress injuries and inflammation both develop gradually. Tennis players experiencing shoulder pain should be cautious about any activities that will aggravate it. As pain worsens and becomes serious, players should rest and seek treatment. SOS has a multidisciplinary team of providers with expertise in various treatments and procedures, both surgical and non-surgical, to alleviate pain and restore function. A plan of treatment will be carefully tailored to the individual to support healing and return to play. Ongoing care for chronic shoulder pain may include physical and orthopedic therapies, rest, and other treatments.
More frequently, shoulder replacement is becoming an option for a greater number of patients, including longtime tennis players. Known as shoulder arthroplasty, the procedure replaces a damaged or diseased shoulder joint with an artificial implant. It's a common procedure for managing severe pain, limited movement, and other issues.
Tennis players, and others, having shoulder replacement should be optimistic they can return to regular play and activities after proper healing. A study published in Seminars in Arthroplasty: JSES in 2023, concluded, “Return to racket sports following both reverse and anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty is a realistic expectation, along with significant improvements in both pain and sport-specific function while playing.”
Whether patients need rest and physical therapy, or the shoulder needs a replacement, the experts at SOS are available to provide quality orthopedic care for tennis players and others suffering from shoulder pain.