Tennis combines repetition with strategic precision. 

It’s a sport that requires the athleticism for quick directional changes and sudden explosive power. But these movements can end up putting significant stress on your body. 

We regularly see tennis players who benefit from our diagnostic imaging, to accurately assess their injuries. So we know that recognising symptoms early and getting the appropriate treatment will reduce your risk of injury. And more importantly, help get you back out on the court. 

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is the most well-known tennis injury, affecting around half of all regular players at some point. It happens when the tendons on the outside of your elbow become inflamed or irritated – and this injury can affect anyone who does repetitive arm movements, not just those that play tennis.

You might notice tennis elbow as an ache that starts small and increases over time. Simple things like holding your racquet, picking up a cup, or even opening a door can become painful. The discomfort usually starts on the outside of your elbow and can spread down your arm, especially during backhand shots.

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, an MRI scan can help show exactly what’s happening inside your elbow. The scan shows us the soft tissues and tendons in great detail, helping your doctor understand how severe the problem is and what treatment will work best for you.

Shoulder Problems

Your shoulder works incredibly hard during tennis, especially when you’re serving or hitting overhead shots. One common issue is shoulder impingement, which sounds scary, but simply means the soft tissues in your shoulder are getting squeezed during tennis’ many overhead arm movements. 

If you have shoulder impingement, you might feel pain when lifting your arm above your head, reaching behind your back, or during your serve. At first, it could just be a bit of an ache after playing, but it can get worse and start bothering you even when you’re not on the court.

Sometimes the rotator cuff (the group of muscles and tendons that help your shoulder move) can tear. This may happen gradually, but it can happen suddenly if you overstretch. Complete tears are more serious and might lead to surgery, but partial tears will often heal with the right treatment.

An MRI scan gives a clearer picture of all the structures in your shoulder, helping us see exactly what’s wrong and plan the best treatment to get you back to playing pain-free.

Wrist Pain

Your wrist is another area that takes quite a beating during tennis, especially during groundstrokes and serves. Common wrist problems include inflamed tendons, sprained ligaments, and small stress fractures. These usually develop slowly because of the repetitive nature of tennis movements and the shock that travels up through your racquet.

One specific injury we see is called a TFCC tear. The TFCC is like a small cushion in your wrist that helps absorb shock and keep things stable. If this then tears, you’ll typically feel pain on the pinky side of your wrist, particularly during forehand shots or when you twist your wrist.

Wrist pain can be tricky to diagnose just by examining it, which is where MRI scans really help. They show us all the small structures in your wrist clearly, helping us figure out exactly what’s causing your pain so we can treat it properly.

Ankle Sprains

Tennis requires lots of quick side-to-side movements, sudden stops, and bursts that put your ankles under pressure. Ankle sprains happen when the ligaments get stretched too far or tear. This usually occurs during quick sideways movements, or when you land awkwardly after jumping.

The most common type is a lateral ankle sprain, which affects the ligaments on the outside of your ankle. These can range from mild stretching to complete tears. If ankle sprains aren’t treated properly, you might develop chronic instability, meaning your ankle will keep giving way and you’ll be more likely to sprain it again.

An MRI scan helps us see exactly which ligaments are affected and how severely they’re damaged. We can also check for any other injuries like cartilage damage or bone bruising that might have happened at the same time. This complete picture helps us create the right treatment plan to get your ankle strong and stable again.

Knee Problems

Your knees work hard during tennis with all the lunging, quick turns, and jumping involved. A common issue is something called patellofemoral pain syndrome, though most people know it as “runner’s knee.” It happens because of all the bending and straightening your knee does during play.

More serious knee injuries happen when you pivot quickly or take a hard fall. The ACL (a ligament that helps keep your knee stable) is particularly vulnerable when you change direction suddenly. You might also tear your meniscus, which is the cartilage that cushions your knee joint, especially if you twist while your foot is planted.

Knee injuries can be complex because there are so many different parts that can be affected. An MRI scan shows us everything inside your knee including cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and bones, giving us a complete picture so we can recommend the right treatment.

Lower Back Pain

There’s a lot of twisting and bending backward involved in tennis, especially when serving, which can put strain on your lower back. You might experience back pain from pulled muscles, problems with your spinal discs, or small stress fractures in your spinal bones. The powerful serving motion creates particularly strong forces through your back.

Young tennis players sometimes develop stress fractures in their spine from repeatedly arching backward during serves. These tiny cracks might not show up on regular X-rays, but MRI or CT scans can spot them clearly.

Back pain can have many different causes, so getting the right diagnosis is important. A spinal MRI gives us detailed images of your vertebrae, discs, and surrounding tissues, helping us pinpoint exactly what’s causing your discomfort and choose the best treatment approach.

Does Imaging Help With Tennis Injuries?

MRI scans are particularly valuable for tennis injury assessment because they provide detailed visualisation of soft tissues without using radiation. This makes them ideal for evaluating tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and muscles that are commonly injured in tennis.

At Oryon Imaging, we use state-of-the-art MRI technology operated by experienced radiographers and interpreted by expert radiologists. Our efficient processes ensure that results are typically available within one working day, allowing for prompt treatment decisions and faster recovery times.If you’re ready to take the next step towards understanding your injury and getting back to playing tennis at your best, you can enquire online or call us directly. Our friendly team will work with you to schedule your appointment and ensure you receive the expert care you deserve.