How to Prevent Pickleball Injuries in Seven Essential Steps

Pickleball continues to be the fastest-growing sport among adults of various ages. It's a great physical workout and offers social and health benefits.

Despite its low impact perception, pickleball injuries continue to increase. This may especially impact people new to the sport or older adults. However, there are several things you can do to decrease the risk of pickleball injuries.

Taking a proactive approach to preventing injuries is key to enjoying the game safely for years. 

This article provides expert-backed tips to help you reduce the risk of pickleball injuries.

Pickleball injuries have continued to increase over the last decade, especially in people over the age of 60. For example, pickleball injuries resulting in an emergency room visit grew 22 times between 2013 and 2022, totalling 13,690.

Pickleball injuries can be broadly characterized as acute or gradual. Acute injuries occur suddenly, while gradual injuries occur over time, usually from overuse. 

Acute Injuries: Sudden Setbacks on the Court

Acute injuries usually occur due to sudden movements such as a fall, slipping, or direct impact. Pickleball players are prone to acute injuries due to the quick bursts and lateral movements around the court.

Acute injuries may include:

• Ankle Sprains
• Wrist Sprains/Fractures
• Knee Ligament Sprains/Meniscus Tears
• Eye Injuries
• Or Head Trauma/Fractures

Overuse Injuries: When Repetition Takes Its Toll

Overuse injuries can develop over time due to repetitive motions and insufficient recovery time. Overuse injuries usually occur gradually, not from a single event, such as an acute injury. They can include damage to the bones, joints, tendons, muscles, or ligaments.

Examples of overuse injuries include

• "Pickleball Elbow" (Lateral Epicondylitis)
• Achilles Tendinitis/Rupture
• Rotator Cuff Tendonitis/Tears
• Plantar Fasciitis
• And Lower Back Pain

Who is Most at Risk?

Although anyone can get hurt playing pickleball, certain factors increase your risk, such as:

• New Players
• Older Adults (55+)
• Inadequately Conditioned Individuals
• And Players Ignoring Pain

Learning how to prevent pickleball injuries often starts before you step onto the court. Prioritizing a proper warm-up is essential to preparing your body for the game. Cooling down after play is also helpful to increase flexibility.

1.) Prioritize Proper Warm-up and Cool-down

Warm-up

A pickleball warm-up should focus on dynamic movements that mimic game actions. The goal is to increase your heart rate and blood flow. 

Examples of dynamic exercises to include: 

• Light cardio includes marching in place, high knees, or a slow jog around the court. 
• Windmills and shoulder rolls
• Squats and alternating front lunges
• Side steps and shuffles
• Spinal rotations 
• Arm circles

Cool-down

A proper pickleball cool-down will gradually reduce the heart rate and improve post-play flexibility. Improving range of motion and flexibility can reduce injury the next time you step on the court. 

The focus of a cool-down should include static stretches to improve range of motion and aid in muscle recovery. Examples include: 

• Cross arm and shoulder stretch 
• Chest stretch
• Standing hamstring stretch
• Hip flexor stretch
• Standing quadriceps stretch

2.) Invest in Proper Equipment

An essential step in pickleball injury prevention is investing in the proper equipment. 

Footwear

Tennis or pickleball-specific court shoes should be worn instead of running shoes. Tennis or pickleball shoes have good lateral stability and traction. Both of these help you move safely in different directions around the court.

Running shoes do not have the same support for lateral movements. The proper court shoes can help prevent ankle sprains, slips, and foot overuse injuries. 

Paddles

Selecting the right paddle with an appropriate grip size is essential. Be sure it fits your hands correctly to prevent wrist and elbow strain. The right paddle also helps reduce muscle fatigue. 

Eye Protection

Hard pickleballs travel fast and can cause serious eye injury. Eye protection can reduce the risk of a serious injury to your eye from the ball. Wear sports protective eyewear with shatterproof lenses.

3.) Gradual Progression and Listening to Your Body

It's also important to listen to your body to avoid injury. Consider the following suggestions:

Ease into it

When starting any new sport, it is essential to avoid playing too much too soon. By easing into the sport, you can give your body time to adjust to the moves and demands of pickleball. 

Gradual Increase

Increase your playing time and intensity over several weeks or months. This will allow you to get stronger and more flexible for the sport. 

Breaks

Take regular breaks when playing, especially if the weather is particularly hot or when you're fatigued.

Rest Days

Getting too much of a good thing, including too much pickleball play, is possible. Incorporate at least one rest day per week. Rest days allow your muscles time to recover and help prevent overuse injuries. 

Heal Completely

Listen to your body and do not play through the pain. Allowing injuries to heal completely is crucial before returning to the court. This may include having physical therapy before returning to pickleball. 

Incorporate Strength Training & Cross-Training

It's helpful to incorporate strength and cross-training to build your overall fitness, flexibility, strength, and balance. These skills help support pickleball movements and will improve play and reduce the risk of injury. 

Targeted Muscle Groups

Train all major muscle groups for an overall fitness program. Strengthening the muscles used during pickleball play, including the legs, shoulders, core, and feet, is critical. Strengthening these muscles helps increase stability and power and can help prevent pickleball injuries.

Cross-Training Activities

Cross-training activities help strengthen the body, improve coordination, and avoid overuse injuries. Consider various cross-training activities like cycling, swimming, yoga, Pilates, and a general strength training program.

5.) Stay Hydrated and Fuel Your Body

Fueling your body before pickleball is an integral part of prepping for the court.

Hydration

Drinking plenty of water before, during, and after pickleball play is vital. This is especially important during hot weather. When playing for longer sessions, consider electrolyte drinks to replace lost nutrients.

Nutrition

A well-balanced diet will help support your energy level and improve muscle recovery. Stick to the basics when it comes to nutrition. This includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and lean protein. Good nutrition helps prevent muscle cramps, fatigue, and dizziness, which can lead to falls.

6.) Master Proper Technique and Footwork

Learning proper technique and footwork can also help prevent injury and improve your game.

Benefits of Lessons

Obtaining pickleball lessons provides a great introduction to the game. A coach can teach proper form for serving, strokes, and court movement. Seeking coaching from a pickleball expert instructor can significantly improve your performance. Learning a technique from an expert may also help reduce your risk of injury. 

Technique Focus

Learning proper technique and focusing on it is also essential to reduce your risk of getting hurt. For example, utilizing your legs and hips for power and court position. Doing so can reduce arm strain and upper-body injuries.

7.) Consult Your Physician and Address Pre-existing Conditions

Playing pickleball safely and preventing injuries may include consulting with a healthcare professional. 

Pre-Participation Screening

If you have any underlying medical conditions, it's essential to consult your physician before starting pickleball. It's also helpful to get the green light from your doctor if you're new to physical activity. 

Physical Therapy Screening

In some cases, having a physical therapy screening may be helpful. A physical therapist can assess your strength, flexibility, balance, and range of motion. This may help identify any deficits and specific exercises you must work on to play safely. 

Bracing/Support

If you have areas vulnerable to injury, consider wearing a brace or other supportive device. For example, an ankle brace may be helpful if you tend to roll your ankle. If you have a past injury to your knee, consider using a brace or kinesiology tape for extra support. 

Even if you take all the helpful precautions, injuries can occur. For minor injuries, immediately stop playing if you feel pain or discomfort.  

Minor injuries are also often treatable at home with the RICE method.

R.I.C.E. Method

• Rest: Avoid using the injured body part.
• Ice: Apply ice packs to reduce swelling and pain.
• Compression: Use a bandage to provide support and reduce swelling.
• Elevation: Raise the injured area above heart level.

Over-the-Counter Pain Relief

NSAIDs like Ibuprofen can help manage pain and inflammation. However, they should not be used long-term and may not be appropriate for everyone. It's best to ask your physician if you can take NSAIDs.

Injury recovery may include treating minor muscle strains with topical pain relief ointments. These provide an excellent option for localized treatment without any systemic effects throughout the body. 

When to Seek Professional Medical Attention

There may be instances where it's vital to seek professional medical attention, such as if you experience: 

• Sudden, acute, or severe pain.
• Significant swelling or bruising.
• Inability to bear weight or move the injured area.
• Deformity of a limb or joint.
• Pain that worsens or does not improve after a few days of rest and RICE.
• Suspected fracture, Achilles rupture, or other serious injury.
• Injury to the eye. 

Pickleball is a fantastic sport that provides great exercise, socialization, and fun competition. Players can significantly reduce their risk of injury with the proper preventative measures, such as those listed above. 

Properly preparing your body with a warm-up and cooling down is vital for pickleball injury prevention. It's also essential to:

• Use the proper equipment
• Ease into the sport
• Cross-train for conditioning
• And listen to your body.

By integrating these tips, you can ensure a safer, more enjoyable, and long-lasting pickleball journey.