Pickleball is taking over the world. It’s fun, social and accessible.
Whether you’re a casual player playing with friends or a competitive player looking to improve your game, one thing is for sure: you don’t want to be sidelined with an injury.
While pickleball’s popularity not as physically demanding as tennis or basketball, pickleball injuries still come with their own set of risks, especially knee injuries if you’re not prepared.
Let’s get into the most common pickleball elbow injuries and more importantly, how to prevent them so you can stay in the game and prevent injury yourself.
1. Injury Prevention Strategies
Injury prevention is key in pickleball as it can help players avoid common injuries and enjoy the game without interruptions. Here are some common injury prevention strategies:
Warm Up Before Playing: A dynamic warm-up can increase blood flow, reduce muscle stiffness and prepare the muscles for activity. Simple exercises like jogging in place, arm circles and leg swings can make a big difference.
Stretch Regularly: Regular stretching can improve flexibility, reduce muscle tension and prevent injuries. Focus on the key muscle groups used in pickleball such as shoulders, wrists and legs.
Strengthen Core Muscles: A strong core can improve balance, stability and overall athletic performance. Incorporate exercises like planks, Russian twists and leg raises into your routine.
Use Proper Equipment: Using proper equipment such as paddles and balls can reduce the risk of injury. Make sure your paddle has the right grip size and weight for you and your playing style.
Learn Proper Technique: Learning proper technique can reduce the risk of injury and improve overall performance. Consider taking lessons or watching instructional videos to improve your game.
1. Shoulder Strain
Causes other injuries: One of the most common upper extremity injuries for pickleball players is shoulder strain.
This is caused by repetitive swinging motions, especially during overhead serves or high impact smashes.
Over time players with severe injury may experience soreness or strain especially if they’re using improper technique or overusing their dominant arm.
Prevention:
Warm-Up: Before you step onto the court do dynamic shoulder stretches like arm circles and cross-body stretches to loosen up the muscles and prepare for overhead motions.
Strengthening Exercises: Incorporate shoulder and rotator cuff exercises into your routine like dumbbell presses and resistance band exercises.
Use Correct Technique: Don’t overuse your shoulder by using proper mechanics during serves and smashes. Focus on generating power from your core and legs rather than your shoulder.
2. Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Causes further treatment of tennis injuries: Tennis elbow is an overuse injury that affects not just tennis players but pickleball players as well. It occurs when the tendons in the elbow become irritated due to repetitive motion especially from backhand shots or powerful swings.
Prevention:
Proper Paddle Size: Choosing the right paddle size is key. A paddle that’s too small or too large can put more stress on your elbow tendons.
Strengthen Your Forearm: Strengthening your forearm muscles through wrist curls and forearm stretches can prevent strain on the elbow. Incorporate these exercises into your routine.
Mix Up Your Shots: Overusing one type of shot can put repetitive stress on the elbow. Vary your shots to reduce overuse injuries and distribute the workload across different muscles.
If tennis elbow persists physical therapy can help with recovery and strength and flexibility in hamstring muscles in the area.
3. Knee Pain and Injuries
Causes: Quick lateral movements, sudden stops and starts are common in pickleball so knee joint pain and injuries are some of the most common pickleball injuries. These quick movements can strain the knee joints especially if you’re playing on a hard surface or using improper footwear. Older players or those with a history of knee problems are more prone to knee injuries.
Prevention:
Wear Supportive Shoes: Get shoes designed for court sports as they have better cushioning and lateral support than running shoes. This reduces the impact on your knees during play.
Strengthen Your Leg Muscles: Squats, lunges and hamstring curls strengthen the muscles that support the knee. Strong leg muscles reduce the strain on your joints so sudden movements are less risky.
Focus on Form: Always use proper body mechanics during play. Bend your knees and engage your core rather than using your lower back when bending or reaching for the ball.
5. Reducing Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries are common in pickleball especially among frequent players or those with poor technique. Here are some tips related to pickleball to reduce overuse injuries:
Gradually Increase Playing Time: Gradually increasing playing time can reduce overuse injuries. Don’t jump into long sessions if you’re new to the sport or coming back after a break.
Take Regular Breaks: Taking regular breaks can reduce muscle fatigue and prevent overuse injuries. Listen to your body and rest when needed.
Stretch Regularly: Regular stretching can improve flexibility and reduce muscle tension. Incorporate stretches for the shoulders, elbows and knees into your routine.
Strengthen Muscles: Strengthening muscles especially in the shoulders, elbows and knees can reduce overuse injuries. Focus on exercises that target these areas like resistance band workouts and weight training.
Use Proper Equipment: Using proper equipment like paddles and balls can reduce overuse injuries. Make sure your gear is suited to your playing style and physical condition.
4. Ankle Sprains
Causes: With the quick, multi directional movements in pickleball ankle sprains are one of the most common acute injuries. An awkward step, a sudden pivot or even landing awkwardly after a jump can twist or sprain your ankle.
Prevention:
Ankle Stability Exercises: Balance exercises like standing on one foot or using a balance board can improve ankle stability. Strengthen the muscles around your ankle with calf raises.
Supportive Footwear: Shoes with good lateral support can prevent ankle rolls. Consider wearing an ankle brace if you’re prone to sprains.
Warm-Up: Make sure to stretch and warm up your ankles with gentle rotations before playing.
5. Lower Back Strain
Causes: Many players experience lower back pain from bending down to pick up balls or twisting their torso during shots making it one of the common pickleball related injuries. Back strain severe pain can also occur from poor posture or overcompensating with your back during play.
Prevention:
Core Strengthening: Building a strong core is one of the best ways to prevent back injuries. Include planks, leg raises and bridges in your workout routine to support your back.
Proper Technique: Use your legs not your back when bending down or reaching for low balls. Use smooth controlled movements not abrupt twists.
Stretching: Stretch before and after play especially focus on hamstring and lower back stretches to release tension.
6. Wrist Injuries
Causes: Playing pickleball puts a lot of strain on the wrists especially during quick, high intensity rallies or awkward reaches for the ball. Players may experience sprains, muscle strains tendon tears or overuse injuries from repetitive flexing of the wrist during swings.
Prevention:
Wrist Strengthening: Do wrist curls and wrist rotations with light weights to build strength and flexibility in your wrists.
Proper Technique: Keep your wrist in a neutral position when hitting the ball to reduce strain. Don’t snap your wrist too much when swinging.
Wrist Support: If you’re prone to wrist injuries consider wearing a wrist brace or using athletic tape to provide extra support.
7. Achilles Tendon Injuries
Causes: The Achilles tendon is a thick band of tissue that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone.
In pickleball court shoes the explosive movements required for quick starts and stops can put a lot of stress on the Achilles tendon, causing inflammation, tendinitis or even a rupture in extreme cases.
Prevention:
Gradual Warm-Up: Always take time to warm up properly especially with exercises that target the calf muscles. Include calf raises and Achilles tendon stretches in your warm up routine.
Pace Yourself: Don’t play at maximum intensity from the get go especially if you’re new to the sport or haven’t played in a while.
Footwear: Properly cushioned shoes with good heel support can reduce the impact on the Achilles tendon.
Now that you know how to prevent pickleball injuries like Achilles tendon issues, you can stay active and healthy.
10. Hydration
Hydration is key for pickleball players as it can improve performance, reduce injury risk and prevent dehydration. Here are some tips to stay hydrated:
Drink Water Regularly: Drinking water regularly can help you stay hydrated and improve performance. Drink water before, during and after play.
Avoid Sugary Drinks: Avoid sugary drinks to reduce dehydration risk and overall health. Opt for water or electrolyte replenishing drinks instead.
Monitor Urine Output: Monitor your urine output to determine if you’re hydrated or dehydrated. Clear or light colored urine is a good indication of good hydration.
Avoid Playing in Extreme Heat: Avoid playing in extreme heat to reduce dehydration and heat related illnesses. If you must play in hot conditions take frequent breaks and stay in the shade when possible.
11. Know Your Limits
Knowing your limits is key in pickleball as it can prevent injuries and improve overall performance. Here are some tips to know your limits:
Listen to Your Body: Listen to your body to determine if you’re pushing yourself too hard or not hard enough. Pay attention to signs of fatigue, pain or discomfort.
Take Regular Breaks: Take regular breaks to reduce muscle fatigue and prevent overuse injuries. Don’t hesitate to rest if you feel tired or sore.
Set Realistic Goals: Setting realistic goals can improve performance and reduce injury risk. Focus on gradual improvement rather than pushing yourself too hard too quickly.
Seek Medical Attention: Seek medical attention if you experience pain or discomfort to prevent injuries and overall health. Don’t ignore persistent pain or injuries that don’t improve with rest.
12. Safe Playing Environment
Creating a safe playing environment is key in pickleball as it can prevent injuries and improve overall performance. Here are some tips to create a safe playing environment:
Inspect the Court: Inspect the court to identify potential hazards and prevent injuries. Look for debris, cracks or uneven surfaces that can cause trips or falls.
Use Proper Equipment: Use proper equipment, paddles and balls, to reduce injury risk. Make sure your gear is in good condition and suited to your playing style.
Warm Up Before Playing: Warm up before playing to reduce injury risk and improve overall performance. Include dynamic stretches and light exercises to get your body ready.
Play with a Partner: Playing with a partner can improve safety and reduce injury risk. Partners can watch out for hazards and help if needed.
Follow Rules and Regulations: Follow the rules and regulations to improve safety and reduce injury risk. Adhere to the game guidelines and respect your fellow players.
By following these tips you can play pickleball and minimize the risk of injury. Stay safe, play smart and have fun on the court!
Conclusion
Pickleball is a low impact sport and physical activity that can be played by anyone at any age but it’s still important to be aware of the injuries.
Taking the time to warm up, practicing proper technique and building strength can prevent most pickleball related injuries.
Whether you’re a knee injury, battling shoulder strain, sprained ankle, other shoulder injuries or trying to avoid tennis elbow, preparation is the key to injury prevention.
By following injury prevention tips and listening to your body you’ll be on the court and not in the doctor’s office.
So before your next pickleball game take a few minutes to get your body ready and be ready for a safe and fun game.
For more health tips and training guides check out The: Pickleball injury and other common Pickleball injuries. Play smart, play safe and most importantly play!