Pickleball Injuries....Seeing the Forest and Not Just the Trees

I examine injured Pickleball players every single day in my practice and the most common questions are “How did this happen?” and “What can I do to get rid of it?” 

I see members of Facebook Groups asking others in the community “Has anyone had this and what did you do to get rid of it?” There is no shortage of answers and advice from other Pickleballers who have encountered the same problem. Someone in a Facebook group asked just last week, “I have Tennis Elbow, what’s the best way to get rid of it?”  I seen responses like “Try a lower weight paddle,” “Ice and Massage,” “Stretch your forearm muscles,” “Strengthen the wrist extensors,” and “Try a smaller grip” to name a few. 

Tennis Elbow, medically referred to as Lateral Epicondylitis, may benefit from all of those suggestions but there are 2 critical considerations you want to pay attention to: timing and time away!  Sometimes, it’s not weakness, lack of flexibility,  inflammation, or a less-than-optimal paddle and grip. The tissues of your body (bone, ligament, tendon, muscle, cartilage) will endure stress for you and they will fatigue and break down and if you give them the opportunity to bounce back, heal, and recovery they will give you more magic!

However, if you are playing 5-6 days of Pickleball in a row and you don’t give all of these structures a chance to recuperate or recover, you will push them beyond their limits. All structures have their limits and when you go past those limits, well, that’s when injuries occur and chronic conditions develop. Once that happens, it’s too late for strengthening and changing grips and paddles or even throwing some ice on. 

You definitely need better strength, endurance, power, and flexibility in pickleball, but addressing all of that before an injury or condition surfaces is the key! If you want to play Pickleball for a very long time, you have to “see the forest” and the forest is the big picture.

Here’s the big picture: PREPARE your body and it’s many magical structures that enable you to play the game you love and LOVE THEM BACK by enabling them to have some rest, recharge, and come back stronger for you. If you are always beating them down, you may get away with it for a while but I assure you something is brewing and will rear its ugly head when you least expect it. 

As I always tell my Pickleball patients, “Prepare Better and Recover Smarter so You Can Play Forever!”  

How can you do this?

• Dedicate just 10 minutes 3-4 times each week to stretch your muscles and tendons but with a purpose....not just to feel a stretch but to permanently change the length of shortened tissues. If you want to be optimal, go get stretched by a flexibility specialist!

  
  

• You must, and this is a non-negotiable, shoot for “TRUE” resistance training not just stretchy bands and little pink barbie dumbbells. Not sure what to do? Invest in a reputable, professional strength trainer even if it is just for a few sessions to put you on the right path.

  
  

• Don’t skip your “dynamic warm-up” prior to each Pickleball game (Even 3-5 minutes is better than circling your arms and lifting your knees 3 times and getting right into the game.) If you aren’t aware of a good dynamic warm-up, educate yourself and seek professional help. Follow drpickledink.com for upcoming articles and videos to help you.

  
  

• Take a couple lessons with a reputable Pickleball instructor because bad habits and poor technique can lead to injuries that will interrupt your journey!

  
  

• Eat whole, non-processed foods with lots of vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes and plenty of protein and complex carbohydrates to fuel your game and help you recover. Stay hydrated all the time, not just when you are playing!

  
  

• Take days off from Pickleball. I recommend 1 full day off after every 2 days of playing and if you can play every other day, even better.

  
  

• Add some time in the pool, lake, or ocean as water is therapeutic. Try some Sauna bathing, cryotherapy, and maybe go get a nice massage!

  
  

• Get your feet into some well-fitted, wide toe boxed shoes specifically made for Pickleball...and....incorporate some additional strengthening for the often-ignored intrinsic foot muscles. 

  
  

Final ThinkaDink

Your body is miraculous! Sometimes we take for granted all the things that we can accomplish physically. We love Pickleball so much that we want to play all the time, but we have to respect our amazing brains and muscles and ligaments and joints that enable us to do so! All the other stuff isn’t as fun as Pickleball so we give it less attention, but we have to understand that if we don’t prepare better and recover smarter our bodies will break down and won’t perform for us in the very sport we cherish! Now, see the forest!

Sincerely,

Dr. PickleDink^TM