Common Pickleball Injuries and Tips to avoid them
As much fun as pickleball can be, it can also cause quite a few aches and pains. In this blog, we plan to briefly cover common injuries we see from people who have just started playing pickleball. Keep in mind, this is a safe game but in 2023 alone, Pickleball accounted for a whopping $350 million worth of injuries and medical expenses! Journal of Emergency Medicine)
What are common injuries from Pickleball?
Strains:
Strains are tendon injuries that can occur from performing an activity too much, too soon, especially if it is a new movement to an individual.
Common tendon injuries we see from pickleball include: Patellar Tendon, Achilles pain, hamstring strains, Wrist/elbow pain and Rotator Cuff injuries
Sprains:
A sprain is a ligament injury and usually occurs from a traumatic event or from poor movement patterns.
Common sprains we see include: Ankle (ATFL sprains), Anterior Cruciate ligament (ACL) and Medial Collateral ligament sprains (MCL).
Fractures:
Fractures, more commonly known as “broken bones,” generally occur from falling or excessive impact with low bone density.
Common fracture sites are the wrist/hand, hip and shoulder fractures
Tips to Avoid Injuries while playing pickleball:
Make sure to perform a warmup of 5-10 minutes BEFORE playing
Ease into playing. Don’t suddenly start playing 3-4x/week. This is one of the easiest ways to hurt yourself. Start by playing 1-2x/week for small periods of time and gradually add more playing time.
Make sure you play with correct shoes. This may sound like common sense but improper footwear can increase chance of falling or tendon/bone irritation.
Start by playing with doubles, this is far less joint stress and is a good way to ease into pickleball.
What to do if you do have an injury during pickleball?
You can always call and schedule with a physical therapist without a referral (for 2 weeks in Texas) to make sure it is not a serious injury that needs more attention. We are trained to screen out pathology and can help guide your rehab plan.
Physical Therapy can help get you back to playing quicker, safer and help educate you on ways to avoid worsening your injury.
If you are looking for a 1-on-1 sports Physical Therapist to get you back to playing sports, give us a call at 512-481-2777
*** This is for information purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. A medical profession should advise you on what exercise program is appropriate for you***
Citations:
Pickleball-Related Injuries Treated in Emergency Departments
Forrester, Mathias B.
Journal of Emergency Medicine, Volume 58, Issue 2, 275 - 279