What are common injuries in Tennis and how can they be prevented?

About

Dr. Richard Antbring is a dedicated Sport and Exercise Medicine consultant with extensive experience in diagnosing and treating a wide range of both acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions and injuries. 

Within his private practice he provides comprehensive care for individuals, young and old, from all walks of life, across all levels of physical activity, from elite and recreational athletes to those who lead a slower pace of life; helping them recover from injuries sustained from sports, daily activity, and work-related incidents.

He has a vast experience addressing a full spectrum of conditions such as ligament sprains, muscle strains, dislocations, and more complex, long-term overuse issues like tendonitis and stress fractures. 

His work also extends to treating people with medical problems related to physical activity e.g. concussion, overtraining syndrome, and nutritional deficiencies.

Having worked extensively within professional football, Dr. Antbring has a special interest in lower limb injuries, especially groin pain, and ankle and knee injuries.

Clinical Expertise and Holistic Care

Dr. Antbring is committed to providing individual and personalised care that is specific to the needs of each of his patients. 

He is a highly skilled diagnostician, combining advanced clinical reasoning with evidence-based assessment tools, to ensure an accurate diagnosis. He often utilises ultrasound scans during consultations for real-time diagnostic imaging, allowing him to provide immediate and detailed insight into his patients’ conditions. 

When required, Dr. Antbring is able to access and arranges advanced imaging such as X-rays, MRI or CT scans to further investigate or confirm a diagnosis.

He is an excellent communicator, with a strong belief in empowering patients through education and collaboration. Dr. Antbring takes time to ensure his patients understand their diagnosis and treatment options and are fully committed and engaged in their treatment.

His focus on structured and individualised rehabilitation plans, together with using advanced non-surgical techniques, such as ultrasound-guided injections and shockwave therapy helps patients recover efficiently and return to their daily and physical activities as soon as possible. 

Dr. Antbring strongly believes that the key to recovery is by treating the person as a whole, rather than just focusing on the specific area of injury. He works closely with other healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists, strength and conditioning coaches, Pilates specialists, podiatrists and dieticians, to ensure your path to recovery is smooth, and focuses on longer term prevention as well as immediate treatment. 

Experience in Elite Sports

Dr. Antbring has gained extensive experience working in elite sports environments. His background includes providing medical care for Fulham FC Academy team where he focused on the unique challenges of managing the health and development of young athletes; treating conditions such as back pain, Apophysitis (overuse injury of the hip) and growth plate injuries like Osgood-Schlatter disease; ensuring that they received the highest standard of medical care during their progression toward professional football careers.

He currently works at West Ham United FC and Leyton Orient, where he supports the performance of the 1st team players, managing conditions such as ACL injuries, Achilles tears and tendinopathy, groin and hamstring injuries.

In addition to his work in football, Dr. Antbring has also worked as a doctor for the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), offering his expertise in musculoskeletal care to wheelchair tennis players. 

His involvement in sports like football and tennis has helped him develop a keen understanding of the specific needs of athletes, enabling him to deliver expert care tailored to the demands of their respective sports and helping them safely return to peak performance following injuries.

Special Interests in High-Intensity Sports

Dr. Antbring has had a strong interest in sport and exercise since childhood, and in later years has developed a personal passion for high-intensity sports and fitness activities, including HYROX, HIIT, CrossFit, and weightlifting. 

His personal enthusiasm for these challenging disciplines has had a significant influence on his practice and makes him uniquely positioned to understand the physical demands placed on these athletes and allows him to provide specialised care for fitness enthusiasts engaged in similar pursuits. 

Training and Qualifications

Dr. Antbring graduated from the prestigious Queen Mary’s University of London in 2015.

During this time, he developed a strong foundation in musculoskeletal medicine and sports injuries, equipping him with the knowledge and skills to treat a broad spectrum of conditions.

In addition to his medical degree, Dr. Antbring has completed a Master’s in Sport and Exercise Medicine, which he achieved with distinction. He also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound imaging, further enhancing his diagnostic capabilities and enabling him to perform ultrasound-guided injections and other procedures with precision.

Life Outside Medicine

Outside his clinical work, Dr. Antbring is passionate about maintaining his own fitness through high-intensity workouts like HYROX and HIIT sessions. A typical day for Dr. Antbring starts with his own fitness routine, whether it’s a gym session or an early morning run.

He is devoted Arsenal supporter and Formula 1 enthusiast, and proudly backs McLaren on race days. When he’s not cheering on his sports teams, Dr. Antbring loves to travel, ski, and spend quality time with his family, embracing life to the fullest both in and out of the clinic.

Areas of Interest

Dr. Antbring’s key areas of interest include:

• Acute and Chronic musculoskeletal injuries

• Overuse injuries

• Groin pain

• Hip, knee, and foot injuries

• Diagnostic ultrasound

• Shockwave therapy and 

• Ultrasound-guided injections

• Paediatric sports injuries and rehabilitation

• Tendon, muscle, and joint pain

• Sports trauma and injury prevention

Consultations and Referrals

Dr. Antbring offers private consultations at the London Independent Hospital. He provides both in-person and virtual appointments.

His calm and patient-centred approach has given him an excellent reputation within the musculoskeletal medical world, and he is highly trusted and respected by his patients and peers. 

He welcomes referrals from other healthcare professionals, as well as direct, self-referrals. He is covered by all the main insurance companies and also accepts self-pay patients.

Mr Prakash Saha is a Consultant Vascular Surgeon at LBSM. He takes pride in providing the best possible results for his patients by using the most appropriate non-surgical and surgical methods based on clinical evidence, patient results and satisfaction.

He treats fit and active people suffering with a range of cardiovascular issues, from painful leg swelling associated with exercise to venous insufficiency, post-thrombotic syndrome and leg ulcers. He also treats people with arterial system problems including poor circulation, compression syndromes and aneurysms. He carries out both endovascular and open aortic repair and has some of the best outcomes in the country.

Mr Saha studied medicine at the United Medical & Dental Schools at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals before completing his higher surgical training in London and the South East. During this time, he was awarded the prestigious NIHR Clinical Lectureship in Vascular Surgery at St. Thomas’ Hospital, giving him comprehensive training in open and endovascular techniques for treating arterial and venous disease. Prakash completed his aortic surgery training at the St. George’s Vascular Institute before carrying out a specialist fellowship at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney.

Mr Saha regularly lectures and runs workshops across the globe on the latest surgical techniques to treat vascular disease. He has also been awarded a number of research grants from the Royal College of Surgeons, the Circulation Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, the Academy of Medical Sciences, and the British Heart Foundation, which has led to over 80 publications and the development of innovative technologies to help treat patients. For this work, Prakash has received a number of prizes, including the Venous Forum prize from the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland, an International Young Investigator Award, and an Early Career Investigator Award from the American Heart Association.

A day in the life of Mr Saha involves seeing patients in clinic, operating in surgical theatre or lecturing at his university. He also regularly teaches and presents at vascular and sports medicine conferences.

Mr Saha is an avid cyclist and tennis player (although yet to get a set of Dr Seth!). Outside of work, he spends time with his family who consists of 3 children and enjoys travelling.