Wimbledon Recap: KT Tape for Common Tennis Injuries

You saw the tennis pros sporting KT Tape at Wimbledon the last couple of weeks- want to learn more?  Check out this special report from the UK by Ketan Makwana at Medzooma.com about how KT Tape is used for common tennis injuries: Tennis is a sports played throughout the year on various different surfaces.  With Wimbeldon being a part of the top sporting events taking place we take a look at some of the common injuries sustained by playing tennis and how kinesiology tape can support the injury and enhance recovery. You have noticed during some sporting events that participants and professionals donning bright, multicoloured strips on their bodies; particularly around the shoulders, knees, elbows, thighs and wrists. This is kinesiology tape, a sports injury phenomenon which was introduced into the UK in the early 70s.  Kinesiology tape uses the manipulation of skin contours to support muscle and tendons, they allow for blood circulation and lymphatic drainage allowing for reduction in swelling and pain relief.  Furthermore, using kinesiology to common sporting injuries also supports mobility which enhances recovery. In this special blog we will look at some of the common injuries sustained whilst playing tennis. At this point I would like to stress that Kinesiology and the use of therapy tape is only a facet of your rehabilitation, we strongly recommend that you seek professional advice from your doctor or physiotherapist. Tennis Elbow Although labeled Tennis Elbow, this common injury is not just caused by playing tennis;  when you are suffering from Tennis Elbow you have actually strained the extensor tendons in the forearm. The tendons become inflamed where they join the bony part on the outside of your elbow.  Incidently, if this pain is on the inside they call it Golfer’s Elbow as the grip and twist is usually reversed. Usually this strain has been caused by activities that involve gripping and twisting of the forearm.  If you are suffering from Tennis Elbow and want to use therapy tape to support your recovery click on the Tennis Elbow link here to see how therapy tape is applied. Rotator Cuff Injuries Rotator cuff injury and inflammation is one the most common causes of shoulder pain. This is caused by irritation and inflammation of the tendons of the rotator cuff. Rotator cuff injuries tend to have a sudden onset, so you feel pain almost immediately. As in most cases with injuries of this type it is caused by overuse of the shoulder, particularly in tennis the shoulder is put through intense usage with serving and also reciprocating shots of the ball in reply to the opponent. For shoulder injuries and details on how to strap up using Kinesiology Tape for injuries such as rotator cuff please click here. Wrist Tendonitis This is the irritation and inflammation of the tendons around the wrist. The most common and consistent complaint of patients diagnosed with wrist tendonitis is pain over the area of the inflammation; swelling surrounding soft tissues is also common. Check out the video on using Kinesiology tape for wrist injuries by clicking here. Achilles Tendonitis The Achilles Tendon is the large tendon at the back of the ankle; it connects the large calf muscle to the heel bone and provides the power for walking a running. Achilles Tendon injuries are very painful and prevent you from walking, injuries can be sustained from inflammation of the tendon due to overuse.  This is very common in sports such as tennis and football and can take the sufferer several weeks or months to remedy. Kinesiology tape is designed to support this type of common injury, to see how you can use therapy tape to support the injury click here. Iliotibial Band Syndrome (IT Band) IT Band pain, like Achilles Tendonitis, can be very painful, and knee symptoms can prevent walking.  It is often found in sports enthusiasts and also in women during pregnancy. The band pain is caused by superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the thigh extending from the outside of the pelvis to over the hips and knees.  As the band stabilizes, movement such as walking and running with continuous rubbing of the band can cause inflammation. Symptoms range from a stinging sensation just above the knee joint to swelling and thickening of the tissue.  Unlike rotator cuff injuries the pain is not onset or sudden and may not actually be felt during exercise or movement, however this can intensify later… To read the entire article, visit Medzooma.com.