Is Pickleball the new injury from a wildly popular sport?

If you haven’t played Pickleball yet, it is likely you will. Many towns have added lines to their local tennis courts to enable both tennis and Pickleball to be played.

For those unfamiliar with this quickly growing sport, it is played on a smaller court that is similar to a tennis court in width, uses smaller lighter rackets resembling table tennis rackets, and uses a whiffle-like ball familiar to anyone who played stickball years ago.

Unlike tennis, the game requires less running, and placement of the ball is very important. Also, unlike tennis, the lighter ball is more likely to be affected by wind and may require upper back and body movements that can offset your balance resulting in muscle pulls or falls.

With the increase of people playing the game comes an increase of Pickleball related injuries. Since the game requires less running, more older people are enjoying the game as well as younger ones.

Our offices have seen its share of shoulder, neck, and lower back strains as well as knee and Achilles-related injuries.

Some tennis players have taken to the sport with the belief that the less physically demanding sport will produce fewer injuries. The truth is that changing your sport will change how you move but will not correct problems related to poor mechanics and poor movement patterns.

From the chiropractic perspective, the game is all about movement and placement. If movement is compromised in the hips, it will affect shoulder motion and injuries can occur.

Unlike traditional ways of thinking, chiropractors look at motion holistically to fully understand why you hurt and to resolve the cause of the injury rather than just obsessing over the painful area which will also be assessed.

Seeing a chiropractor first is often the best option to get the care you need and to be properly diagnosed. Chiropractors will refer you if medical care is required, however, most patients get relieved after just a few short visits without the additional costs and hassle of an MRI or other expensive test that doesn’t enhance or speed treatment.

The NY Times recently had an article that covered many of the conditions chiropractors treat and resolve. Check it out below

Pickleball, Sport of the Future Injury?

It’s all fun and games till you strain your Achilles’ tendon, herniate a disc or do a face-plant in the Kitchen.

By Matt Richtel Published Aug. 20, 2022

During a recent pickleball match, Nish Nadaraja, 50, made a quick lunge for the ball. It was just a few feet away, but Mr. Nadaraja, an entrepreneur in Northern California, said he felt his feet tangle and he began falling to the pavement “in slow motion.” He still hoped to brace himself with his knees and make a play with his paddle.

Nope. “I face-planted,” he said.

The pain was mild and Mr. Nadaraja played through it, although his wife (and doubles opponent) thought he should have rested. “I did need antibiotics,” he conceded.

It was another wound stemming from a national sensation that shares a name with a snack or a sandwich topping but that is proving a bit more hazardous than sometimes advertised. As a flock of middle-aged players migrate from tennis or start fresh with an easy-to-learn sport, the aches are defying the game’s low-impact reputation.

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