Can Chiropractic Therapy Help Your Tennis Game? Mobility and Recovery Explained

Alex Eala’s success on the tennis court has turned the Philippines into a tennis country. A certified crowd-drawer for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), she’s the undisputed face of Philippine tennis.

Ranked 18 in the world, her popularity sparked interest in the said sport. For instance, Decathlon Philippine’s beginner racquets experienced a 66% spike in sales in the past year. This is a testament that the Alex Eala fever is here to stay.

Because of the rise of Filipinos engaging in tennis, many are probably experiencing cranky elbows, sore knees, stiff shoulders, and other musculoskeletal issues. That’s because the said sport can be hard for the body, especially if your body is still adjusting to all the swinging, backward-forward movement, and lateral movements.

This is where chiropractic therapy comes in. Alongside warm-ups, training, and coaching, this holistic method can address spinal subluxations and joint misalignments. Consequently, it can help improve your range of motion and support recovery. Read on to find out more.

Why range of motion is important in tennis

Tennis is a sport that involves a lot of movement. Tennis strokes and back hands, for instance, rely on coordinated movements coupled with explosiveness, not isolated arm action. Therefore, if your range of motion is compromised, chances are, you won’t be able to perform well.

Tennis demands movements that involve the whole body

On top of arm swings and backhands, there are other movements that you need to perform when playing tennis. Below are some of the most notable ones and the body parts that they rely on.

Shoulders and upper back. Serves, follow-throughs, backswings, and overhead smashes require movements from shoulders, often at high speeds.
Hips. Almost all major tennis strokes require hip rotation and hip drive. For example, in groundstrokes, rotating your hips is essential to successfully drive a shot.
Ankles and knees. Tennis serves, split steps, lateral lunges, etc., require ankle and knee flexion.

Range of motion contributes to efficient force transfer

In tennis, force production begins at the ground and moves through the legs, hips, core, and arms. It’s then transferred to the racquet. In sports science, it’s called a kinetic chain. Here, when one body part is stiff or tensed, another one is compromised due to the inefficient distribution of load.

Putting the said factors into consideration, range of motion is important in tennis because none of the said body parts work alone. A stiff back can cause your shoulders to become stiff, eventually messing up your body mechanics. That’s why it’s important to turn to chiropractic therapy to not just fix sore spots but also fix range of motion problems.

If not addressed, poor range of motion can have a negative impact on serving and overhead performance, groundstroke rotation, swing power, and recovery steps.

Common tennis mobility restrictions that your chiropractor may assess

If you play tennis, you may develop stiff spots. You may not notice it at first, until they affect your game or cause pain and discomfort after games. Your chiropractor may check for tensed muscles and/or misaligned vertebrae and determine if they may be putting a strain on other body parts.

Here are restrictions that they may look for.

Shoulder range of motion
Thoracic spine mobility
Hip mobility and pelvic control
Ankle mobility
Wrist and arm strength

Shoulder range of motion

Your chiropractor may check your shoulder range of motion, analyzing how far the shoulder turns. They may compare movement from one side to the other, how strong it is, and how well your shoulder blade moves.

For reference, you need a strong rotator cuff that can reach its full range of motion if your game involves a lot of overhead movements.

Thoracic spine mobility

During tennis games, your thoracic spine or mid-spine (longest region of the spinal column) bends backward and twists. If it’s stiff, your lower back may take up the added load and cause muscle knots to develop. Your chiropractor may assess your thoracic spine and, depending on your fitness level, may perform chiropractic treatment afterward. They may also encourage you to perform mobility work and strengthening exercises.

A study that was published in the National Library of Medicine suggests that tennis players who include back and shoulder mobility exercises together with strengthening workouts may improve their overall mobility. Along the way, they may also develop more accurate serves.

Hip mobility and pelvic control

Tennis requires your hips to push back, turn, and keep you balanced. With this in mind, your chiropractor may check if hips are loose and if they’re strong enough to perform tennis movements with explosiveness.

Ankle mobility

Your chiropractor may check your ankles to make sure they bend and help you stay low in tennis games when necessary. If they’re stiff, you may find it difficult to perform certain tennis movements. Plus, they may be more prone to strains and sprains.

Wrist and arm mobility

Wrist and arm mobility are necessary to hold your racquet at an optimum position, angle it, and spiral to the ball. Here, your chiropractor may check if you have tennis elbow and if they turn seamlessly.

These are some of the most common tennis mobility restrictions that your chiropractor may evaluate. In line with these factors, bear in mind that player needs are different and there’s no one program that fits everyone. What you need depends on your body type, fitness level, how you play, and past injuries, among others.

How chiropractic therapy can support tennis players

Including chiropractic therapy in your tennis regimen is a must if you regularly deal with pain, discomfort, stiffness, and mobility issues. Read on for details.

Movement-focused assessment
Manual therapy for short-term comfort and movement
Active rehabilitation for range of motion

Movement-focused assessment

As mentioned earlier, chiropractic treatment varies from one individual to another. Your assessment may start with an analysis of symptoms, injury history, fitness level, and recovery methods, among others.

Along the way, they may assess for painful and non-painful movements, as well as strength, balance, coordination, and tennis-specific movements.

Manual therapy for short-term comfort and movement

To achieve pain relief and movement comfort for tennis games, your chiropractor may perform manual therapy. They may include spinal and joint adjustments as well as soft tissue mobilization.

Spinal and joint adjustments. These techniques can restore your body’s full range of motion, particularly in the thoracic spine, shoulders, wrists, and hips. Once their benefits are achieved, you may experience improved rotational power, especially for serves and ground strokes.

Soft tissue mobilization. Your chiropractor may perform methods such as Active Release Technique (ART) and the Graston Technique to get rid of muscle knots, reduce muscle tension, and break down scar tissue.

Note: On top of the aforementioned treatment, your chiropractor may also encourage you to have other holistic methods such as acupuncture, myofascial release therapy, etc.

Active rehabilitation for range of motion

A study that was published in the National Library of Medicine suggests that to make the most of your chiropractic therapy, you need to complement it with active rehabilitation. Active rehabilitation, which includes movement training, self-management strategies, and home workouts recommended by your chiropractor.

Chiropractic therapy for tennis recovery

Chiropractic therapy has become one of the go-to treatments for many tennis players who experience the following post-game or post-training: muscle soreness, stiffness, and movement discomfort.

When used as a component of a recovery plan, it can help improve pain, discomfort, and the like. Here’s how chiropractic therapy can help.

Supporting comfortable movement after tennis

In a study of 198 Canadian national athletes, two-thirds (67%) who underwent chiropractic therapy say that they believed that it positively affected their physical performance. With this in mind, it can be said that the benefits of the said holistic approach when it comes to muscle recovery are promising.

Should you choose to incorporate chiropractic therapy into your tennis recovery, your chiropractic doctor will identify the factors that are hindering your recovery. Whether it’s caused by muscle tightness, reduced joint mobility, or changes in movement control.

Where appropriate, they may perform joint mobilization, spinal adjustment, soft tissue work, or assisted mobility, or a combination of the said methods. The goal of this approach is to help you return to help you get back to the playing court as soon as possible, without compromising your safety and welfare.

Restoring mobility between tennis games and training sessions

Regardless if you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, you need to recover in a timely manner after strenuous games or trainings.

On top of regular chiropractic sessions, your chiropractor-developed plan may include prioritizing comfortable movement from your shoulder to your ankles. Here, you’ll need to complement strength training with mobility workouts to improve range of motion.

Rounding out recovery lifestyle changes

A good chiropractor will remind you that chiropractic therapy is a component of recovery. It’s not a magic pill that will instantly get you back into tip-top shape.

To make the most of your chiropractic treatment for tennis recovery, you need to include the following in your recovery plan:

Cooldown. After a long match or rigorous training, you shouldn’t neglect cooling down. A couple of minutes of light walking or easy mobility work can go a long way when it comes to getting your heart rate back to normal. This won’t erase next-day delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), but it’s arguably one of the best ways to bring back to resting state.
Good nutrition and hydration. Nutrition and hydration are other recovery basics that you should focus on after a long match or training session. This principle is most true in the Philippines, where the humid weather can deplete your body of essential electrolytes for speedy recovery. On top of this, consume the right amount of carbohydrates and protein about 30 minutes after the said activities.
Sleep. Don’t underestimate sleep since it’s the time of the day when your body’s recovery really happens. It’s essential not only when it comes to recovery but also when it comes to lowering recovery risk
Rest. Planned rest days, i.e., taking time off or keeping things light, allow your body to relax and relieve muscle soreness.

As you can see, chiropractic therapy can be a huge part of your tennis recovery. However, you need to undergo more extensive assessment if you experience persistent pain, extreme fatigue, significant swelling, and numbness. They may need more than just routine recovery care.

Keep playing tennis, but take care of your body too

The Alex Eala fever has more Filipinos—regardless of age and gender—picking up racquets and heading to the playing court. This is a great thing, especially if you’re all about maintaining an active lifestyle. But the sport puts a lot of strain on the body.

A holistic approach in the form of chiropractic therapy, alongside other methods like warm-up, cooldown, proper nutrition and hydration, and rest, can help improve mobility and recovery. Doing these consistently can help you play tennis at an optimal level, boost recovery, and prevent injuries minus painkillers and other drugs.

At Posture Perfect Chiropractic, we can help you make the most of your tennis endeavor by helping you achieve your full range of motion and recover faster.

Whether you’re training for a tournament or playing to improve heart health or maintain your ideal weight, our doctors can perform treatment that can complement your goals. Our experts can also teach you home exercises that can help you make the most of chiropractic treatments.

Book an appointment day and make a step toward more confident tennis games.