We’ve talked about pickleball at great lengths on this blog, and it’s a hobby that we hear about from many of our patients when discussing their injuries and their return to activity goals. Not surprisingly, ankle sprains and foot fractures are two of the leading types of injuries during pickleball, but how exactly are these injuries occurring during matches?
Below, we take a closer look at the movement mechanisms that most commonly lead to foot and ankle injuries in pickleball.
How Players Are Hurting Themselves During Pickleball
If you are aware of the actions and movements that are most likely to lead to a foot or ankle injury during pickleball, you can take some steps to mitigate these risks. Let’s take a closer look at how players are hurting their ankles and feet during pickleball games.
1. Falls/Slips/Trips – Falls, slips and trips account for nearly half of all injuries on the pickleball court (43.1%). Sometimes a fall happens because your feet get tangled as you’re working to set up your next shot, but other times more preventable factors are in play. Ensure that you’re wearing a specific type of athletic shoe that’s designed to support your feet during pickleball, and consider doing some balance training exercises when you’re not on the court to help keep yourself upright. Poor court conditions can also trigger a fall, so don’t play on courts with large cracks or on surfaces that are wet or slippery.
2. Strains/Tears/Pulls – Strains, tears and muscle pulls account for 9.5% of injuries on the Pickleball court, or nearly 15,000 injuries requiring emergency room visits per year. Again, make sure that you are wearing a supportive shoe for the activity and give yourself 5-10 minutes to appropriately warm up prior to playing a game so that your muscles and soft tissues have safely transitioned to a more active state.
3. Twist/Roll/Sprain Movement – The act of rolling, spraining or twisting your ankle gets its own designation in this study, accounting for 8.4% of all injuries. Correct shoe choice is once again imperative, as well as playing on ideal condition conditions. If playing with a partner, work on having good communication skills so that you aren’t entering each others’ space and increasing your likelihood of stepping on their feet and rolling your ankle.
4. Struck By A Ball – 7.9% of all pickleball injuries involve being struck by a ball. This is unlikely to cause much of an issue for your feet and is mainly reserved for face and eye injuries. Wear protective headgear or talk about competitiveness if being struck by a ball is a concern of yours.
Other/Unspecified injuries actually came in second on the list, accounting for 29.8% of injuries, but we don’t have any specific advice for preventing these unspecific injuries other than to heed the safety advice we’ve discussed in other pickleball blogs.
If you’re dealing with a new or chronic foot injury that developed during a game of pickleball or you’re nursing an injury that’s making it challenging to get back on the court, consult with Dr. Silverman and the team at OrthoArizona. We’ll figure out what’s going on in your feet and help develop the best treatment plan for your specific needs. Give our team a call today at (602) 648-5444.