Treating and Preventing Pickleball Injuries
Did you know pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S.? It’s no surprise—it’s an enjoyable, casual way to stay active and connect with friends. But like any sport, it comes with injury risks. Luckily, APEX Physical Therapy is ready to help!
Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, using paddles to volley a lightweight plastic ball over a net.
Because of the repetitive swinging motions, players can develop overuse injuries in their arms. Plus, the quick starts, stops, and lateral moves increase the chance of ankle and knee injuries.
At APEX Physical Therapy, we love pickleball and want you to enjoy it safely! We offer tips to prevent common injuries—and if you get hurt, we’ll support your recovery.
Schedule an appointment at our Brighton, MI clinic to learn how to manage pickleball-related injuries.
Common Pickleball Injuries
Though pickleball isn’t a contact sport, injuries still occur. Here are some frequent ones:
- Elbow Tendonitis: Often called “tennis elbow,” or “pickleball elbow,” this overuse injury causes inflammation of the elbow tendons from repetitive swinging. Expect pain, limited movement, and sometimes swelling.
- Rotator Cuff Strains: The rotator cuff muscles and tendons stabilize your shoulder. Overuse can lead to strains causing shoulder pain and restricted motion.
- Leg Muscle Strains: Hamstrings, quadriceps, and inner thigh muscles can become strained during play.
- Patella (Kneecap) Injuries: Knee pain might indicate patellar tendonitis or other patella-related issues resulting from frequent court movements.
- Achilles Tendonitis: Pain and stiffness in the tendon connecting calf muscles to the heel often affects weekend players who ramp up activity suddenly.
- Ankle Sprains: Unlike most gradual overuse injuries, ankle sprains happen suddenly when ligaments stretch or tear, causing pain, swelling, and instability.
How APEX Physical Therapy Can Support You
The best approach to pickleball injuries is prevention. Our skilled physical therapists can:
- Perform Comprehensive Assessments: We evaluate your biomechanics, muscle strength, and movement patterns to find injury risks before you hit the court.
- Create Tailored Exercise Plans: Personalized routines help correct weaknesses and build confidence in your game.
- Offer Custom Injury Prevention Tips: From warm-ups to activity pacing, we provide practical strategies to keep you safe.
If injury occurs, we’ll:
- Carefully assess your symptoms and identify contributing factors.
- Provide hands-on, drug-free pain relief techniques such as manual therapy.
- Guide you through personalized rehab exercises to reduce pain, improve mobility, and restore strength.
- Develop a safe return-to-pickleball plan so you know when to get back in the game.
Don’t let injury bench you—schedule an appointment with APEX Physical Therapy today.
