Pickleball Pain
by Lawrence Conneff
Pickleball has been described as America’s fastest-growing sport, and one of its biggest draws is accessibility. But just like other sports, it has injury risks that players should keep in mind.
Most of the pickleball-related injuries that local doctors treat are caused by overuse, particularly among older players, said Dr. Philip Mulieri, an orthopedic surgeon at Hilton Head Orthopedics.
“The tendons and ligaments start to get a little bit weaker with time, so there’s a lot of strains and sprains that we see,” he said, “and sometimes we get tendon or ligament tears.”
Shoulder injuries like tendinitis and rotator cuff strains are most common, Mulieri said, followed by lower-leg injuries including ankle sprains and strains, Achilles tendon pain, plantar fasciitis and stress fractures.
These injuries often can be treated at home with rest, anti-inflammatory medication and ice for the pain and swelling. If symptoms are improving within five to seven days, “that’s typically a sign that there’s a minor injury,” Mulieri said.
But if pain, weakness or loss of movement persists, it’s best to get checked out by a doctor.
“Certainly, if you are playing and you feel or hear a pop around the shoulder and have pain related to that, that might indicate that something might have torn acutely, and it definitely would be worthwhile seeing an orthopedist about that,” Mulieri said.
Serious injuries can require surgical repair, but more often they can be treated with rest, anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy.
“I would say most injuries that we see are treated without surgery,” Mulieri said. “People can usually walk on the injury. They might feel a pop when it happens, but a lot of times they will roll their ankle and get some mild swelling. But if the swelling is significant, if they develop bruising around the ankle or they have difficulty bearing weight due to pain, that’s typically an indication that it should be evaluated.”
There are steps people can take before and after play to reduce their chances of injury.
“It’s important to warm up before the activities, spend about 10 to 15 minutes doing light exercise and stretching before they play,” Mulieri said. “It’s important to cool down and maybe do some post-play stretching.”
Players also should make sure they use the right equipment and technique and wear appropriate shoes for their playing surface.
Mulieri said playing a sport like pickleball shouldn’t be a person’s only exercise. Off the court, he recommends improving balance and strength by working on the core muscles and flexibility by stretching, as other ways to lower injury risk.
New players should start out slow.
“It’s better to gradually increase their time of play over a period of time when they first start playing,” Mulieri said.
Players returning from an injury also shouldn’t try to come back too quickly.
“Once they’re recovered from the injury doesn’t mean they can necessarily go back to their previous pre-injury level of play right away,” he said. “They would have to gradually return to that level. Just because it’s a sport that most people can play doesn’t mean it comes without its risks.
“People should be aware that it is a sport, and all the necessary steps should be taken to ensure that they can play the sport without having an injury.”
