Emory Sports Medicine has developed the Southeast's first comprehensive and collaborative tennis medicine program. The program is geared at treating injuries with tennis-specific providers as well as on-court injury prevention techniques to focus on the comprehensive health of the tennis player. The creation of a tennis medicine program in the Atlanta metro area was a natural fit, as the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Southern section is the largest section in the country, while ALTA Atlanta Lawn and Tennis Association (ALTA) is one of the nation’s largest citywide tennis leagues.
Innovative medical approaches to treatments that are specific to tennis players will be one of the key components of the new program, such as tennis-specific rehabilitation, musculoskeletal ultrasound, using regenerative procedures directed at healing, and when necessary, referrals to the top academic sports medicine surgeons in the region.
The director of Emory Tennis Medicine is Neeru Jayanthi, MD, an Emory Sports Medicine physician. Jayanthi has researched, published and treated tennis-specific injuries in junior competitive, adult and professional tennis players. He is a certified teaching professional who plays competitively at the region’s highest USTA and ALTA league levels. In addition, he conducts on-court evaluations with video analysis of players to help identify stroke mechanics that may need accommodations in order for players to return safely to tennis.
“The strength of the program is that it connects Emory Tennis Medicine with tennis-specific providers of many specialties, tennis organizations and tennis coaches in the community to keep tennis players healthy,” says Jayanthi, who is also current president of the International Society for Tennis Medicine & Science. “Taking care of tennis players also includes injury prevention, performance training, nutrition and even mental health.”
The program centers around education and research to help guide tennis coaches, players and medical providers give the best recommendations on and off the court. More than 50 percent of adults over 30 years old will get tennis elbow, followed by injuries to the shoulder and low back, while greater than 40 percent of junior tennis players with low back pain may have a bone stress injury, or can suffer other treatable injuries to the knee, shoulder, wrist and hip.
Emory Tennis Medicine is available at Emory Sports Medicine Center in Atlanta and Johns Creek, Ga. For more information visit www.emoryhealthcare.org/tennismedicine or contact Emory Tennis Medicine via phone: (404) 778-1831 or email: tennismedicine@emoryhealthcare.org.