Treating and Preventing Pickleball Injuries
Did you know that pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States? And for good reason–it’s a fun, low-stakes way to get active and spend time with friends. And while it’s a great choice for people of all ages and ability levels, you do need to be mindful of injuries. Fortunately, Dubuque Physical Therapy is here to help!
Pickleball is similar to other popular racquet sports, blending elements from tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. During a game, players paddle a lightweight plastic ball back and forth over a net.
As you might expect, the game involves a lot of swinging motions in your arms, which can set you up for an overuse injury. It’s also a fairly active game in that you’ll move across the court to intercept the ball. With all those starting and stopping motions, the game can also lead to injuries in the ankles and knees.
The team at Dubuque Physical Therapy loves pickleball–and we want to ensure you have a great time playing it! We can give you tips for preventing common pickleball injuries. And if you do sustain one, we’ll help you get back on the court.
Schedule an appointment at our Dubuque or Peosta clinic to learn more about managing pickleball injuries.
Common Pickleball Injuries
Pickleball isn’t as high-contact as other sports, but injuries can still happen. Here are some of the most common:
Elbow Tendonitis
You may know it by its more common name, “tennis elbow,” but you could also call this common overuse injury “pickleball elbow.” It develops when the tendons in your elbow become inflamed due to the repeated swinging motion necessary in the sport. Symptoms include pain, limited mobility, and sometimes swelling.
Rotator Cuff Injuries
Your rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that support your shoulders, and you can strain these tissues through overuse, too, leading to pain and restriction in the shoulder.
Strains in the Leg Muscles
You can also strain your hamstring, quads, or inner thigh muscles.
Patella (Knee Cap) Injuries
If you notice knee pain after your pickleball sessions, you might have developed patellar tendonitis (inflammation of the patella’s tendons) or another patella-related injury.
Achilles Tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis affects the tissue that connects your calf muscles to your heel bone, causing pain and restriction. It often develops in weekend warriors, who are much more active on the weekends than during the week.
Ankle Sprains
Most pickleball injuries are overuse injuries, meaning they gradually develop over time. The most likely sudden or acute injury in pickleball is a sprained ankle, which occurs when the ligaments stretch or tear, causing pain, swelling, and a sense of instability.
What Dubuque Physical Therapy Can Do To Help
The best way to address pickleball injuries is to work to avoid one in the first place. Not sure how to do that? Our team of physical therapists on the case:
- Comprehensive Assessments: Before you dive in, we can conduct an in-depth evaluation to pinpoint any biomechanical issues, muscular weaknesses, or other concerns that might contribute to an injury.
- Personalized Exercise Programs: We’ll provide you with guidance on how to address those impairments so you can play with confidence.
- Personalized Injury Prevention Tips: We can also provide customized strategies for avoiding injury–such as warm-up exercises before a game or suggestions for slowly incorporating more physical activity.
If you do suffer an injury, we can help with that, too. We’ll…
- Assess your symptoms and identify any issues that contributed to your injury.
- Offer drug-free pain management techniques, such as manual therapy.
- Guide you through a personalized therapeutic exercise program to improve mobility restriction, reduce pain, and restore strength and function.
- Provide a return-to-pickleball schedule, so you know when it’s safe to jump back into the game.
Don’t let a pickleball injury keep you from your favorite sport! Schedule an appointment with Dubuque Physical Therapy to learn more.
Pickleball Injury Prevention Class
- May 13, 8am at Peosta Community Center
- OR
- May 15, 12 pm at Veterans Memorial Park (Dubuque)
- $20 per person – includes handouts, access to videos and resistance bands for you to keep!
- Open to all skill levels
- Please RSVP to info@dubuquept.com
In this class, participants will learn a dynamic warm up, cool down, and 6 of the most important exercises that improve balance, strength, and mobility specific for pickleball players. This class will be taught by a Dubuque PT Physical Therapist to ensure participants are using the correct form and activating the right muscles to get the most out of the moves.
Contact info@dubuquept.com for questions and more information!
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