Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in America—and pickleball injuries are on the rise as a result.

Pickleball is a recreational racket sport that combines elements of tennis, ping pong and badminton into a game enjoyed by players of all ages and abilities. As with all sports, pickleball brings a risk of injury. In sports medicine practices across the U.S., including ours, increasing numbers of patients are presenting with pickleball pain.

The most common pickleball injuries arise out of repetitive use and happen over time. Repetitive use injuries affect the wrist and elbow and lower extremities—including acute flares of underlying hip and knee osteoarthritis as well as calf and hamstring strain injuries.

In the wrist, injury can occur because of the repeated torque and twisting motion required to paddle the ball. Tennis elbow can arise, which involves tendinitis and pain on the outside of the elbow resulting from repetitive use.

A calf strain can occur when explosively lunging forward for a low shot and can bring about pain that feels like a kick in the calf. Calf injuries should be monitored and evaluated to ensure they aren’t more serious injuries such as an Achilles tendon rupture. Hamstring strains can also occur with explosive court movements in pickleball, and depending on the degree of the strain, it may take longer to heal. It is vital to have the injury evaluated by a sports medicine physician.

Of course, other types of bodily injury can arise from pickleball play, including shoulder strains, rotator cuff injuries, bursitis and impingement. Knee injuries, such as meniscus and ACL tears, and ankle injuries, such as sprains, are also risks.

A combination of the following factors causes most pickleball injuries, but there are ways to avoid them:

• Improper warmup and cool-down: Commit to always stretching while warming up before playing pickleball and stretching while cooling down afterward. Regular stretching can help improve flexibility and reduce the risk of injury.
• Improper technique: Be diligent about the use of proper pickleball playing techniques. When available, take lessons from a qualified instructor to learn appropriate pickleball techniques.
• Overuse: Don’t play pickleball too often without giving your body enough time to rest.
• Inadequate equipment: Wear proper shoes and use a paddle that is the right size and weight for you.

If you have sustained an injury playing pickleball that hasn’t seemed to heal with conservative treatments such as rest and over-the-counter medication, be sure to see a sports medicine specialist to get to the bottom of it.

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