4 Ways To Stop Common Pickleball Injuries
Hey Team,
One of the fastest-growing sports in the United States for the population over 50 is Pickleball.
In our office, I have seen an uptick in the number of injuries sustained due to Pickleball. I expect this is normal as people become more active; we tend to see increased overuse injuries. Some injuries include knee pain, Achilles pain, or shoulder injuries. Knee pain is noted from the hard surface, starting and stopping, occasional trip and fall, or surrounding biomechanical issues. The shoulder pain is seen with overhead hitting and repetitive arm whipping.
4 WAYS TO STOP PICKLEBALL INJURIES
Today we look at ways to reduce these injuries through different preventive ways. Take a look at these top tips. Plus, if you want more information on minimizing pickleball injuries, I have added more at sumnerpt.com/pickleball.
1. Prepare the tissues: Do you jump on the court and start playing or prepare your tissues? A proper warmup includes activities of a progressive nature that replicate the movements of the sport. We call this a dynamic warmup. These might include fast walking, skipping, partial lunges, lateral squats, backpedaling, jogging, and light jumping. These movements should start slow and progress faster to prepare the tissues for competition.
2. Proper rest between sessions: As we age… the body takes longer to heal. Proper rest is needed to help the body recover and avoid overuse injuries. If you are playing a high level of Pickleball, experiencing soreness to the tissues the next day, or having light pains after your session… are you taking steps to rest the tissues? These tissues will break down and eventually lead to shoulder tendonitis or tennis elbow - overuse injuries. We are looking to bend but not break in weight training or fitness. We want to push the tissue to the point of fatigue and sometimes light soreness, but if we do not give the tissues a chance to rest, the body will become deconditioned and fail.
3. Maintain proper mobility: Do you have a full range of motion? Can you reach fully overhead? Can you put your arm behind your back? Are you able to squat fully? These motions are needed for Pickleball or many sports to achieve full participation and avoid injury. Suppose you are attempting to hit a ball overhead without adequate range of motion… impingement to the rotator cuff will result. Take the time to improve upper body stretching mobility, especially to the front part of the chest.
4. Increase strength: Grip strength and scapular strength are the keys. Suppose you want to consistently hit with your paddle and strike the ball without worrying about shoulder or elbow pain… then strengthen these tissues. The rotator cuff, scapular muscles, and gripping muscles are the key to longevity with Pickleball.
Overall, a sport like Pickleball aims to create lifetime fitness. I am a huge proponent of continuing an activity you enjoy, creating consistent movement, making you sweat, and being social. Lifetime fitness activities are the root of health, and continuing activities you desire are a must. I hope these tips will help you continue your fitness journey in Pickleball. I know fall is coming quickly, and the opportunity for Pickleball outside will be limited. For my Pickleball advocates who will move indoors, follow these tips and visit sumnerpt.com/pickleball to get the most out of your sport. I have included videos of all these tips listed above, and I hope you enjoy them.
Thanks again Team, and feel free to email me with any questions or comments.
