Tennis injuries: elbows, shoulders and serving load
Cranbourne Tennis Club has been at Casey Fields since 2005, and tennis in this area runs year-round across hard courts and synthetic grass. The injuries are dominated by overhead and repetitive load rather than contact, which means most of them are preventable with the right preparation.
Tennis elbow is rarely just the elbow
Lateral epicondylitis is the classic tennis injury, but the elbow is usually where the pain shows up rather than where the problem starts. Grip strength, wrist stability, shoulder mobility and even racquet grip size all contribute. Treating only the sore spot on the outside of the elbow is why so many cases drag on for months. Read more on elbow and wrist pain.
Shoulders and the serve
The serve is the most demanding movement in the sport for the shoulder. Rotator cuff irritation and subacromial pain build through a season in players who serve a lot without maintaining thoracic rotation and shoulder blade control. If reaching overhead has become uncomfortable off the court as well as on it, that is worth assessing.
Lower back on the serve
The serve loads the lumbar spine in extension and rotation simultaneously, which is a demanding combination. Players with recurring low back pain that is worse after serving practice than after point play often have a facet joint or extension-related presentation rather than a disc one — and the two need opposite management. Our low back pain page explains the difference.
Calves, achilles and the hard court
Hard courts are unforgiving on the calf and achilles, particularly for players over 35 returning after a break. Calf tears in tennis often happen in the first few sessions back, not deep into a season.
What helps
Grip size and string tension matter more than most players think. So does maintaining thoracic rotation, hip mobility and calf capacity in the off-season. We assess the whole chain rather than the painful part, and we will tell you honestly if an equipment change would do more than treatment.
What a first appointment looks like
We start with what actually happened and what the demands of your sport are, then assess the injured area alongside the joints and muscles above and below it — because the painful structure is often not the limiting one. You get a diagnosis, a realistic timeframe, and a plan that accounts for your training and match schedule rather than assuming you can stop. If we think you need imaging or another practitioner, we will say so at that first visit rather than after six sessions.
Booking in
We are at 5/6-8 Langmore Lane, Berwick, with street parking directly outside and same-week appointments most weeks. Initial consultations are 60 minutes and $149, with private health rebates processed on the spot via HICAPS. No referral is required, and we also work with WorkCover, DVA and Medicare care plans where they apply.
Book an initial consultation at RISE Sports & Spinal in Berwick. Clear diagnosis, hands-on treatment, and a plan that actually gets you better.
