Pickleball Injury Prevention Tips: Injuries are becoming more common as pickleball continues to grow in popularity. Many players, especially older adults, are facing problems like Achilles tendon ruptures. Dr. Michael Fredericson, a sports medicine expert at Stanford Medicine, shared helpful tips with Lisa Kim to help players stay safe on the court.
Dr. Michael Fredericson explained that players are mostly suffering from muscle sprains, strains, and even bone fractures. “The most common is just sprain or strain of your hamstring, your calf muscles, meniscus injuries,” said Dr. Fredericson. “You can have an Achilles rupture. Definitely see a share of our fractures, particularly women and particularly older women who might have osteoporosis. Those often go to surgery.”
Men are also at risk. “Men, we’ve seen more of those sprains and strains. We’ll see a lot of knee injuries, Achilles injuries,” he added.
Injury Risks in Pickleball
Pickleball may seem like a low-impact sport, but it demands quick movements that can strain muscles and joints. Players who are not used to this level of activity are more likely to get injured. Common injuries include calf and hamstring strains, meniscus tears, and ruptured Achilles tendons.
Older women, especially those with weaker bones due to osteoporosis, often suffer from fractures that sometimes require surgery. Men mostly experience knee and tendon injuries.
How to Stay Safe on the Court
Dr. Michael Fredericson stressed the need to warm up before games. “One thing is you want to warm up properly. You might want to do these walking lunges, bike kicks, some pull raises, get the Achilles warmed up, some things for your shoulders, twisting. The other thing is make sure you’re wearing the right shoes,” Fredericson advised.
Staying hydrated is also important. “You can work up a really good sweat playing pickleball. This is not sweat, it’s glow,” he joked, reminding players to stay hydrated throughout the match.
Fitness is another key to injury prevention. “Something I say to our runners, which is, don’t run to get fit, just get fit to run. And the same with pickleball. You don’t want to use pickleball as the primary way to get fit. You want to get fit to allow you to play pickleball.”
Looking Ahead
With more people taking up pickleball, injury prevention is essential. Knowing the risks, warming up properly, wearing proper shoes, staying hydrated, and improving fitness can help players avoid common injuries. As pickleball continues to grow, taking steps to stay safe can make the game more enjoyable for everyone.
News in Brief: Pickleball Injury Prevention Tips
Injuries are rising in pickleball, especially Achilles ruptures, says Dr. Michael Fredericson of Stanford Medicine. He urges players to warm up, stay hydrated, wear proper shoes, and be fit before playing. Older women face fracture risks; men suffer more sprains and strains. Prevention can keep players on the court.
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