Featuring Carl Petersen, BPE, BScPT, Physiotherapist

Duration: 1 minute, 19 seconds

Shoulder rotator cuff injuries are extremely common in tennis due to the repetitive overhead nature of the sport.

Well, rotator cuff injuries are often caused by overuse and trauma. The trauma is to the area of the rotator cuff attachment on the shoulder. It's the area where the tendons attach from either the super spinatus or the infaspinatus.

They'll often feel pain on this lateral aspect of the shoulder, and it is due to the repetitive overhead nature and the overhead nature of any of the strokes. And it will be uncomfortable for them to raise their arms up overhead or to hit some of their strokes.

Well once it's been diagnosed as a rotator cuff injury and has settled down, you're going to start on a variety of strengthening exercises to try and help improve not only your posture but to improve the strength of those muscles that are required to decelerate you shoulder when you're hitting your overhead shots or hitting any forehand shots.

One of the most important things to do if you suspect you have a rotator cuff injury is to get a proper diagnosis. So that means either seeing your physician or your physiotherapist.

You'll be given a variety of stretching and strengthening exercises as well as a variety of other things to try and improve your recovery and get you back to playing.

Presenter: Mr. Carl Petersen, Physiotherapist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Physiotherapist