Submitted by Dr. Jennifer Penrose of Penrose Physical Therapy
Pickleball, which uses a perforated plastic ball and wooden paddles on a badminton-sized court, is the fastest growing sport in the U.S. with the number of players rising from 4.8 million in 2021 to 8.9 million in 2023, according to USA Pickleball.
As pickleball’s popularity has increased, so have the number of serious injuries among players.
Bone fractures related to pickleball have increased 200% over the last 20 years, according to an analysis of a large government injury database presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons on Feb 12, 2024.
The overall rate of injuries is likely much higher. The new data only looked at fractures. It did not include the most common soft tissue injuries like sprained ankles or debilitating knee injuries such as damage to the ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament. Other common pickleball injuries include rotator cuff injuries, worsening of arthritis, Achilles tendon tears/strains and foot fractures.
The Vast Majority of the Fractures Found in the New Study, 92%, Occurred During Falls
Most of these injuries were in the 60+ crowd and could be related to a couple of factors.
1. Soft bone – 25% of men and 50% of women 50 years old or older have softening of bone and so if they are taking up a sport with more explosiveness or fall this could stress the bone to either a stress fracture or true fracture.
2. Many people picking up this sport in the 50+ crowd may not be conditioning for the sport ahead of time and building up the strength, reaction and mobility required. This sport is very explosive in nature. It has short bursts of quick reactive movements and it requires squatting and lunging and reaching and being on your toes. Having strong legs, hips, core and ankles are a must to move around quickly. Having workouts that require you to work out without shoes on to work on ankle strength and balance are also key components to developing reaction strategies while on the court.
3. Lack of warm up contributes to many of the soft tissue injuries that we see. As we age, we need a longer time to warm up and get the circulation to the tendons and muscles so they are “ready to go.” We may feel ready but our physiological bodies are not. Take the time to do a proper dynamic warm up to allow adequate blood flow and get the muscles ready to stretch and fire when called upon quickly for this sport.
4. Lack of mobility/flexibility in the hips and thoracic spine. If you don’t move well in your hips, you will likely over reach with your low back. If your thoracic spine doesn’t twist well or extend well your shoulders and low back are at risk for injury. This sport can be very fun but developing a stretching routine that you do throughout the week will allow you to play with less risk of injury.
Playing a sport is fun. We would love to keep you playing pickleball. We have a free report and emails regarding tips to playing this sport. Go to the pickleball injuries webpage or the Penrose Physical Therapy website or and go to resources to download your free copy and get free tips about pickleball injuries. If you want to ask us a question email info@penrosept.com. If you want help with formulating a plan to get rid of an annoying ache reach out to us at 360-456-1444. We would love to help you stay on the court playing pickleball.
Penrose Physical Therapy is located at 1445 Galaxy Dr. NE Suite 301, Lacey. We won #1 Physical Therapy Clinic in 2023 for Best of South Sound and we continue to strive for an exceptional experience. Dr. Penrose hosts a podcast “Stay Healthy South Sound” where she interviews providers and patients to help give the community good resources on staying healthy. We love serving this great community.
