Written by: Dr. David Westmacott, DC
Tennis is an exciting and physically demanding sport that requires powerful strokes, quick changes in direction, and repetitive overhead movements. While these motions are essential for performance, they can also place significant stress on muscles, tendons, and joints. Over time, this repetitive strain often leads to pain, stiffness, and injury.
For tennis players dealing with nagging discomfort or recovering from injury, Active Release Techniques (ART) has become one of the most effective soft tissue treatments available. This specialized manual therapy is widely used by sports medicine practitioners to help athletes recover faster, move better, and prevent recurring injuries. At Active Sports Therapy in Calgary, many tennis players rely on ART to stay healthy and competitive on the court.
What Are Active Release Techniques?
Active Release Techniques is a hands-on soft tissue treatment designed to identify and treat problems in muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves.
Over time, repetitive movements—like serving, backhands, and sprinting across the court, can cause tiny tears in soft tissues. As these tissues heal, scar tissue can form.
This scar tissue can:
- Reduce flexibility
- Restrict normal muscle movement
- Cause weakness
- Lead to pain or inflammation
ART works by breaking down scar tissue and restoring normal tissue movement, allowing the body to function properly again. During treatment, a practitioner applies precise pressure to a muscle while guiding the patient through specific movements. This combination helps release adhesions and restore healthy mobility.
Why Tennis Players Are Prone to Soft Tissue Injuries
Tennis involves thousands of repetitive motions during training and matches. These movements commonly lead to overuse injuries.
Common causes include:
- Repetitive serving motions
- Forceful forehands and backhands
- Sudden sprints and stops
- Quick lateral movements
- Poor swing mechanics
- Muscle imbalances or tightness
Without proper treatment, these stresses can lead to chronic pain and reduced performance.
Common Tennis Injuries Treated with ART
Active Release Techniques is extremely effective at treating many injuries commonly seen in tennis players.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow occurs when the forearm muscles become overloaded from repetitive racquet swings. This leads to irritation and micro-tears in the tendons around the elbow.
Symptoms often include:
- Pain on the outside of the elbow
- Weak grip strength
- Pain when lifting objects or shaking hands
ART helps release tight forearm muscles and improve blood flow to the injured area, allowing the tendon to heal more effectively.
Rotator Cuff Injuries
The shoulder takes a significant amount of stress during serves and overhead shots. Over time, this can lead to rotator cuff strains.
Common symptoms include:
- Shoulder pain during serving
- Weakness in the arm
- Limited range of motion
- Night pain when lying on the shoulder
ART treatments help release tight shoulder muscles, restore mobility, and reduce inflammation.
Wrist Tendonitis
The wrist absorbs a great deal of impact during topspin strokes and volleys. Repetitive motion can cause irritation in the wrist tendons.
Symptoms may include:
- Pain during swings
- Reduced racquet control
- Wrist stiffness or weakness
ART helps restore proper movement between the forearm muscles and wrist tendons, improving both comfort and performance.
Achilles Tendonitis
Tennis requires quick acceleration, deceleration, and directional changes. These movements place significant stress on the Achilles tendon.
Players may experience:
- Pain in the back of the heel
- Morning stiffness
- Discomfort when pushing off the foot
ART can release tight calf muscles and improve tendon mobility, reducing strain on the Achilles.
Lower Back Pain
The powerful rotational movements used in serving and groundstrokes can overload the muscles of the lower back.
Common symptoms include:
- Stiffness after matches
- Pain with rotation or bending
- Muscle spasms
ART treatments focus on the lumbar muscles, hip flexors, and glutes, helping restore normal movement and reduce tension.
Performance Benefits of Active Release Techniques
ART is not only for injury recovery, it also helps improve athletic performance.
Many tennis players experience:
✔ Increased flexibility
✔ Improved range of motion
✔ Faster muscle recovery
✔ Reduced injury risk
✔ Better movement mechanics
When muscles move freely without restriction, athletes can generate more power and move more efficiently around the court.
Preventing Future Tennis Injuries
One of the biggest advantages of Active Release Techniques is its role in injury prevention.
Regular treatment can help:
- Identify tight or overworked muscles early
- Correct movement restrictions before they become injuries
- Maintain healthy muscle function during competitive seasons
For athletes who play frequently, proactive treatment can make a major difference in long-term performance and durability.
Get Back on the Court Pain-Free
Tennis injuries often begin as minor discomfort but can quickly become chronic problems if left untreated. Early care with targeted soft tissue therapy can help prevent long recovery periods.
Many of our Chiroprators and Physiotherapist are trained in Active Release Technique the powerful treatment option for tennis players dealing with repetitive strain injuries or acute muscle problems.
With the right care, most players can recover quickly and safely return to the sport they love.
If you are experiencing any of the conditions listed above book an appointment at either locations requesting Active Release Techniques and you will be guided to one of our many expert practitioiners.
