Common Pickleball Injuries

Pickleball has been the fastest growing sport in the United States for the past four years. The game combines elements of tennis, ping pong and badminton into a new sport that’s played on a hybrid court blending properties of tennis and badminton courts. It is easily accessible to individuals of all ages, which is one of the primary reasons for its surging popularity. Whether you’re a young adult, a middle aged parent or a senior citizen, pickleball provides a great outlet for anyone craving a social outlet and some extra physical activity in their life.

The most recent data regarding the growth of pickleball highlights the sport’s tremendous popularity:

• Depending on the reporting organization, there are between 19.8 million and 48.3 million active pickleball players in the United States
• Pickleball participation has increased 311% over the last three years
• There are over 68,000 pickleball courts in the United States
• Dedicated pickleball facilities are growing 55% year over year

The rising popularity of pickleball is largely a good phenomenon, as it has helped a growing number of individuals across the country expand their participation in athletic activities. However, it’s important for pickleball players to understand that just as with all sports, there’s a risk of injury. A University of Arkansas study found that over 17,400 pickleball-related injuries resulted in emergency room visits in 2022 alone. Whether you’re new to pickleball or an experienced player, it’s important to understand the injury risks.

Two Types of Pickleball Injuries

There are two different types of pickleball injuries:

• Strain and overuse injuries
• Acute or traumatic injuries

In general, the prevalence of these injuries typically breaks down by age. Strain and overuse injuries, which are the most common type of pickleball injuries, primarily affect individuals under the age of 50. Pickleball players over 50, on the other hand, are more likely to develop acute or traumatic injuries associated with falls or abrupt pivots on the court.

Most Common Overuse Pickleball Injuries

The repetitive motions required when playing pickleball make players susceptible to overuse injuries. The more often you play, the more likely you are to develop one of these overuse injuries since your body is repeating these motions more frequently, often without sufficient time to recover from the strain placed on your muscles, tendons and ligaments.

Pickleball Elbow

Pickleball elbow is an overuse injury that results in elbow tendonitis. It’s similar to tennis elbow and occurs when the tendons on the outside of the elbow become irritated or inflamed. It’s generally caused by repeated stress on the elbow from swinging a paddle or poor mechanics when swinging. This injury can create significant pain along the outside of the elbow.

Shoulder Strain

Shoulder strain is another common overuse injury that occurs when your shoulder or rotator cuff becomes overextended during overhead swings. This can damage the muscles in the region, resulting in inflammation, pain and reduced range of motion. In severe cases, this overextension of the muscles can result in a torn rotator cuff.

Achilles Tendonitis

The quick and repetitive footwork required when playing pickleball can place stress on the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. This can result in tendonitis, which causes pain and inflammation that impacts your mobility.

Knee Strains

Repeated bending, twisting and sudden directional changes while playing pickleball can result in knee strains. Some of the most common include:

• Jumper’s Knee – This injury occurs when the patellar tendon connecting the bottom of the kneecap to the top of the shinbone becomes inflamed.
• Runner’s Knee – This injury occurs when the thick band of tissue along the outside of the thigh becomes inflamed.
• Torn Meniscus – This injury occurs when the cartilage in the knee tears during sudden movements on the court.

Back Strain

Poor posture, improper technique and sudden twisting or bending movements can result in lower back pain.

Most Common Acute and Traumatic Pickleball Injuries

While most pickleball injuries are caused by repetitive motions and overuse, it’s also possible to suffer an acute or traumatic injury. These often occur when you fall on the court or engage in a sudden motion that results in an immediate injury. When an acute or traumatic injury occurs, you can generally identify the specific moment where the injury happens since you’ll feel the pain right away. This is different than overuse injuries which develop gradually over time.

Fractures

Wrist, arm and hand fractures can occur from falling on the court with an outstretched arm to break your fall. While less common, fractured legs and ankles can also occur during pickleball.

Sprains

Knee, wrist and ankle sprains can occur from falls, twisting movements or abrupt pivoting motions.

Dislocated Shoulder

Dislocated shoulders can occur if you fall on your shoulder or experience an extreme twist in your shoulder joint. This type of injury causes your upper arm bone to pop out of the shoulder socket.

Pulled Hamstrings

Pulled hamstrings can occur while lunging for a ball on the court. These injuries are very painful and can result in stiffness and weakness in the back of the thigh.

Colorado Advanced Orthopedics Can Help

If you’ve suffered a pickleball injury, Colorado Advanced Orthopedics can help you restore a pain free life. Our team of board-certified, Fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine physicians have extensive experience treating pickleball injuries. We can perform all necessary diagnostic assessments to determine the precise nature of your injury and recommend the right treatment plan.

In most instances, pickleball injuries can be treated with nonsurgical methods such as physical therapy. However, in cases of serious acute injuries, our orthopedic physicians can also perform any surgical procedure necessary to help you fully recover and get back on the pickleball court as quickly as possible.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment. Colorado Advanced Orthopedics serves patients in Meeker, the White River Valley, Grand Junction and throughout the Western Slope.