Common Injuries in Pickleball

Pickleball was invented in 1965 as a backyard game for children on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Players use paddles to hit a plastic ball with holes over a net. The game can be played in singles or doubles on a badminton-size court. Pickleball is a hybrid of tennis and ping pong that is designed to be low-impact, easy to learn and suitable for people of all ages and skill levels. Like many sports, pickleball does not come without its risk of injury. Injuries that commonly occur with pickleball include, but are not limited to, ankle sprains, achilles tendinitis, patellar tendinitis, rotator cuff tendonitis and lateral epicondylitis (aka. Pickleball elbow). 

Ankle sprains are a common injury in many sports that involves a rolling or twisting of the ankle beyond normal range of motion. Symptoms of an ankle sprain include pain, swelling, bruising, stiffness and limited tolerance to weight bearing. It is important to properly rehabilitate an ankle sprain to achieve full range of motion and strength to prevent chronic ankle instability from occurring. Seeking guidance from a physical therapist can help get you back on the pickleball court quickly. 

Achilles tendonitis is inflammation of the Achilles tendon that connects the calf muscles to your heel bone. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and warmth in the heel along the tendon. Pain and stiffness can result in limitations with standing, walking, running and getting out of bed first thing in the morning. Guidance from a physical therapist can help regain your mobility, reduce your pain and improve your strength. 

Rotator cuff tendonitis is inflammation of the tendons of the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is a muscle group in the shoulder joint that stabilizes and moves that shoulder. Symptoms of rotator cuff tendonitis include pain/swelling of the shoulder, limited mobility, weakness in shoulder, pain at night and pain with daily activities. Physical therapy can help regain mobility and strength of the rotator cuff muscles causing pain. 

Lateral epicondylitis is inflammation of the muscles that attach on the outside of your elbow. Symptoms include pain/burning on the outside of the elbow, pain radiating into the forearm and wrist and weakness/pain with gripping. Resting your forearm can help reduce your pain but to prevent injury upon return to pickleball or other racket sports progressive strengthening of these muscles is needed.