Pickleball is a wonderful way to stay active and get your blood pumping, and while it’s become more popular among people of all ages, it is certainly finding its stride with older adults. We love that Pickleball is helping to keep older adults moving, but because of its popularity, we’re also seeing a significant increase in the number of patients we’re treating for Pickleball-related injuries.
The sport relies on quick movements and being fast on your feet, which takes a toll on your lower body. We want you to be able to stay on the court and avoid these foot and ankle injuries, and while they aren’t completely preventable, we hope that by shining a spotlight on some of the more common Pickleball injuries that we can help you avoid a costly injury. In today’s blog, we spotlight four common foot and ankle injuries that you’ll want to work to prevent if you regularly play Pickleball.
What Foot Injuries Are Most Common In Pickleball?
Which foot injuries are most common in Pickleball? Here’s what we’re seeing most:
Ankle Sprains – Perhaps the biggest culprit is the dreaded ankle sprain. While not as serious as some others on this list, it can certainly lead to more problematic injuries if not treated correctly. Even if it doesn’t lead to a more extreme injury like a fracture, an untreated sprain can lead to chronic instability and significantly affect your athletic ability. Prevention Tips – Work to prevent ankle sprains in Pickleball by wearing shoes designed for the sport, ensuring the playing surface is dry and free of tripping hazards, and warming up prior to athletic activity.
Achilles Tendonitis – Achilles tendonitis develops when our Achilles tendon is overworked. If it is not strong enough to handle the stress you put on it, or you put too much strain on the area without adequate rest, microtears in the tendon can occur. This not only weakens the tendon and leads to discomfort, but it can also greatly increase your risk of a larger tendon rupture. If you’re dealing with discomfort on the backside of your heel, shut it down for the day and allow the area to heal. Prevention Tips – Gradually increase your playing time, especially if you’ve been away from the game for a while, and give your body some off days to allow healing to run its course.
Plantar Fasciitis – Plantar fasciitis is similar in nature to Achilles tendonitis in that it typically is the result of overstress and a lack of rest following strenuous activity. The microtears develop in the plantar fascia, which is the thick band of tissue that runs along the underside of your foot and connects your heel to your toes. Prevention Tips – Gradually increase your playing time, especially if you’ve been away from the game for a while, and give your body some off days to allow healing to run its course. Also take time to stretch before playing Pickleball, and consider some physical therapy or targeted exercises to strengthen the muscles in your feet to help protect the plantar fascia from direct stress.
Stress Fractures – A final injury that we’re seeing more of in Pickleball players is the stress fracture. As the name implies, a stress fracture occurs when a bone is overstressed, leading to microfracture development. Much like tendonitis, shielding the area from overstress can be helpful in preventing and treating stress fractures. The running, jumping and overall high-impact movements required during Pickleball can leave players exposed to stress fracture risk. Prevention Tips – Slowly build up your tolerance for high-impact activities, and give your feet a break from these types of actions during exercise or other everyday activities. Low-impact or no impact activities like swimming or biking are great ways to stay active while working to avoid overstressing your feet.
Keep these tips in mind, and please reach out to Dr. Silverman if you need help getting back on the Pickleball court after a foot and ankle injury! Reach out to Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.