Foot Pain in Tennis

Pain in the feet of tennis players is a common problem and can negatively affect a tennis player’s performance on the tennis court and overall health. The causes of foot pain in tennis players are often preventable if the causes are understood and taken into consideration. Three main causes of pain in the feet of tennis players are inappropriate footwear, overuse and biomechanical factors.

First, wearing inappropriate shoes can lead to serious foot pain. The tennis shoes or sneakers worn by tennis players must have sufficient support and cushioning to absorb the stresses of tennis. Much like an athlete in other sports requires specialized equipment, such as football helmets or soccer cleats, players must ensure that the shoes that they wear are specifically designed for tennis. Inadequate shoes can produce a myriad of problems, including the formation of painful blisters and calluses. Many players overlook this critical aspect of their gear, and do not realize that an appropriate pair of tennis shoes can help prevent many serious injuries to the foot. (Kibler and Safran, 2005).

Another common cause of foot pain in tennis players is that of overuse. The sport requires quick changes of direction, often in a rapid succession of movements which can place a considerable amount of stress upon the individual’s feet. The more that a player participates in tennis, whether through practice or competition, the greater the amount of stress that is placed upon their feet. This can lead to chronic pain and potentially a variety of serious injuries. In order to avoid any potential problems, it is recommended that tennis players ensure that they are allowing their feet to have the necessary time for recovery between periods of intense physical activity. For example, a tennis player may participate in several matches throughout the course of a single day. Even after the final match has concluded, the player’s feet may still be feeling the effects of the extensive physical activity that they have participated in. As a result, it is recommended that the player allows their feet to rest and recover for as long as is necessary, in order to ensure that they are in optimal condition for future matches.

There are also many cases in which players have been known to develop foot pain as a result of their biomechanics. All players use their feet differently and the way in which a player moves can cause them to place uneven amounts of pressure on different parts of their foot. Some research has shown that the surfaces that players compete on can cause plantar pressure to increase significantly, and as a result could lead to injury (Girard et al. 2007). For example, those who play on hard courts are likely to feel a great deal of impact on their feet as opposed to those that play on clay. This could result in players with irregular foot mechanics placing excessive stress on areas of the foot, resulting in pain and or injury in the heel, arch or toes of the foot.

One further condition suffered by tennis players through the cumulative effects of poor footwear, overuse and biomechanical reasons are so-called stress fractures. These are tiny cracks in the bones of the foot. Stress fractures generally require some time to heal and during this time, athletes are unable to continue their training. In competitive tennis this can be a huge problem as every lost training session can affect an athlete’s performance for the rest of their career. The incidence of stress fractures in tennis players is said to be higher in elite athletes. This is partly due to the high amount of training that these athletes complete on a regular basis, which puts a lot of strain on the bones in their feet. Even though the cracks in the bones are painful, many elite athletes continue to play through the pain in the hope that it will alleviate once they have completed their next training session. Unfortunately, this is not the case and the pain and potential damage to the bones could have been prevented had the athlete stopped playing and allowed the cracks in the bones to heal.

In summary, there are three main factors to consider with regards to preventing and managing foot pain in tennis players. First, there is the consideration of footwear that tennis players use, then there is the factor of overuse and the final factor that should be taken into consideration are the individual’s biomechanical movements. All of these factors can contribute to foot pain in tennis, but knowing the factors that cause foot pain in tennis can help athletes pick out the best gear and work out an ideal training schedule. For example, playing on hard courts compared to clay courts can increase plantar stresses during activities such as deceleration and quick changes of direction and therefore the use of inappropriate footwear, overuse and an individual’s biomechanical movements can increase stresses on their feet during matches and in training.

Chronic injuries to the feet can cause problems for athletes in the long term as other parts of the body can be placed under undue stress as the athlete tries to compensate for pain. For example an athlete with pain in their foot may walk in a way that places extra stress on their ankle, causing injury, or places stress on their knee, causing injury. In this way a small injury to the foot of an athlete can cause problems to other parts of the body. The work of Perkins and Davis (2006) highlighted the severity of the effects that chronic injuries to the feet can have on an athlete, and the importance of their prevention and treatment.

There are many case reports which have described the effects that ignoring foot pain can have on a tennis player. In a report written by Del Rossi (2003), the author reported on the case of a male tennis player that continued to compete with foot pain, which turned out to be a case of plantar fasciitis. This condition caused the player so much pain that he was no longer able to walk and was forced to take a long break from playing tennis. In a report by Nelson and Hall (2011), the authors reported on the case of an athlete that played an entire season with foot pain. The pain turned out to be a case of stress fracture of the lower leg, which caused the athlete to suffer from multiple injuries in the lower leg after the season. These are just two examples that show how serious the effects of ignoring foot pain can be and how it can cause not only a decline in performance but also have long lasting effects on an athlete’s health.

Preventing foot pain in tennis players is key to enabling them to play to their highest level whilst maintaining good health. Appropriate footwear is crucial. Because of the nature of tennis, consisting of many fast-paced movements including those that involve lateral movement and rapid change of direction, the tennis shoe needs to give appropriate support and cushioning to the foot. Shoes must also fit well to prevent excessive stress points and also to prevent blistering and the likes of callus formation. It is also essential that from time to time tennis players evaluate the shoes they are wearing and, if necessary, change them for new ones. According to Llana et al. ( 2002) tennis players must replace their tennis shoes from time to time. It must be stressed that the shoes that have been used prior to the new ones have probably lost much of the initial support provided by the shoe. This loss of support could place the foot in a poor position resulting in foot pain, possibly even injury. When shoes are new, they provide optimal foot alignment thus enabling the athlete to play at the best possible level thereby reducing the risk of foot related pain.

Another way to prevent and solve foot pain problems is by means of rehabilitation. Ankle and foot injuries are very common among tennis players. The fastest way to recover from an injury and to get back on the tennis court is by starting a rehabilitation process as soon as possible. Strengthening exercises, balance exercises and stretching exercises for the foot and ankle can all be very useful in managing and treating foot pain problems. Chinn and Hertel (2010) have written an article in which several methods for rehabilitation of ankle injuries are described. It can be very useful for physical therapists and for patients with ankle injuries. The physical therapist can use these methods in the treatment of the patient. The patient can also read the article in order to get information on the different methods that are available for the rehabilitation of an ankle injury. The physical therapist can use several methods to treat ankle injuries. The physical therapist can apply ice on the affected area in order to reduce pain and swelling. The physical therapist can also elevate the affected leg in order to reduce swelling. In some cases the physical therapist can use physical therapy modalities such as ultrasound or electrical stimulation in order to promote healing of the injury. In addition physical therapists can use exercises in order to treat ankle injuries. The physical therapist can start the patient with strengthening exercises in order to strengthen the muscles around the ankle. In addition the physical therapist can start the patient with balance exercises in order to improve balance of the patient. In addition the physical therapist can start the patient with stretching exercises in order to increase flexibility of the ankle. All these exercises can be very useful in the treatment of ankle injuries and in the rehabilitation of the patient.

In addition to providing tennis players with tools to help manage current foot pain, prevention programs can empower future generations of tennis players by teaching them about the causes and early signs of foot-related problems. Such an understanding will enable tennis players to seek early treatment for minor injuries, which can in turn prevent them from developing into more serious problems. Avagnina (2019) stated that programs and workshops can provide tennis players with information regarding injury prevention, and players can then be empowered to make healthier choices with reference to their training in order to maximize their potential in the game and to ensure their overall health is not compromised by overtraining or through incorrect footwear. Programs such as these can promote a positive culture that aims to encourage players to prioritize their health throughout their involvement in the sport.

The key to preventing foot pain in sports are: the appropriate use of footwear, the implementation of effective physical rehabilitation for any ankle or foot injuries and finally an emphasis on the education of athletes in regards to foot health. If all three of these measures are implemented in the tennis training of an athlete, they can effectively prevent foot pain which will improve performance on the court as well as promote the health of the long term athlete.

Citations:

Avagnina, L., 2019. of Injury in Tennis Players. Tennis Medicine: A Complete Guide to Evaluation, Treatment, and Rehabilitation, p.439. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=VOeCDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA438&dq=tennis+players+foot+pain+causes+and+treatments&ots=KZOoIuUISw&sig=Hh9ou3dvVpgGjIWT0tXZr1iWiZo

Del Rossi, G., 2003. Great toe pain in a competitive tennis athlete. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 2(4), p.180. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3963253/

Girard, O., Eicher, F., Fourchet, F., Micallef, J.P. and Millet, G.P., 2007. Effects of the playing surface on plantar pressures and potential injuries in tennis. British journal of sports medicine, 41(11), pp.733-738. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/41/11/733.short

Nelson, R. and Hall, T., 2011. Bilateral dorsal foot pain in a young tennis player managed by neurodynamic treatment techniques. Manual Therapy, 16(6), pp.641-645. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1356689X11000403

Kaiser, P., Stock, K., Benedikt, S., Ellenbecker, T., Kastenberger, T., Schmidle, G. and Arora, R., 2021. Acute tennis injuries in the recreational tennis player. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 9(1), p.2325967120973672. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2325967120973672

Maquirriain, J. and Ghisi, J.P., 2006. The incidence and distribution of stress fractures in elite tennis players. British journal of sports medicine, 40(5), pp.454-459. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/40/5/454.short

Perkins, R.H. and Davis, D., 2006. Musculoskeletal injuries in tennis. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics, 17(3), pp.609-631. https://www.pmr.theclinics.com/article/S1047-9651(06)00031-3/abstract

Chinn, L. and Hertel, J., 2010. Rehabilitation of ankle and foot injuries in athletes. Clinics in sports medicine, 29(1), pp.157-167. https://www.sportsmed.theclinics.com/article/S0278-5919(09)00071-4/abstract

Kibler, W.B. and Safran, M., 2005. Tennis injuries. Med Sport Sci, 48(500), pp.120-37. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ydY3EQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA120&dq=tennis+players+foot+pain+causes+and+treatments&ots=bkybsvczH0&sig=Iy0c-TM3RCjd5_zG1daOBWFVISw

Llana, S., Brizuela1, G., Dura, J.V. and Garcia, A.C., 2002. A study of the discomfort associated with tennis shoes. Journal of Sports Sciences, 20(9), pp.671-679. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/026404102320219374