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.

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In the cross-sectional retrospective review, researchers explored the demographics, injuries, treatment and mechanism of injury among patients with foot and ankle injuries that occurred while playing pickleball between 2015 and 2023. Some findings from the study were:

• The mean age of the patient was 58 years old.
• 58 percent of patients were men.
• Roughly 80 percent of injuries were traumatic.
• Of the 198 patients examined in the study, 78 were diagnosed with an Achilles tendon rupture.
• The majority of injuries were Achilles tendon ruptures, gastroc (calf) injuries and Achilles tendinopathy injuries.
• The most common mechanisms of injury were running or lunging forward, or having a planted foot while pivoting.

Most patients were treated non-surgically with immobilization, physical therapy or RICE, while 57 patients underwent surgery, with the majority having an Achilles tendon rupture addressed.

Pickleball Study Takeaways

The massive spike in ankle and foot injuries during Pickleball is mostly associated to the significant increase in the amount of people who have taken up the sport. If the sport has grown five-fold in popularity, we should expect injuries to increase five-fold or more, especially if this sport is popular among an older subset. We’ve treated Pickleball players who suffered Achilles tendon tears, calf injuries and every type of ankle sprain, and we expect these trends will continue so long as the sport remains popular.

If you’re into Pickleball, make sure that you work to prevent some common sources of injury. Make sure that you are taking time to warm up and cool down before and after activity, wear the right equipment, make sure that your court is well-maintained, that you are playing in ideal conditions and consider partaking in some additional strength training and balance exercises so that you can more easily handle the physical demands of your sport.

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So if you’re looking to overcome a new lower body injury that developed during your latest pickleball session, or you want to learn some tips to stay healthy when you’re on the court, this blog is for you.

Preventing Pickleball Ankle Injuries

You can’t prevent all foot and ankle injuries, especially during a fast-paced game of Pickleball, but you can take some steps to hopefully lower your risk of a new injury. Here’s what you’ll want to do:

Stretch – Take a few minutes to stretch your upper and lower body before a game so that your muscles and connective soft tissues can more easily transition from an inactive to an active state, which can make it easier for them to handle the stress of physical activity.

Dynamic Warm Up – Similarly, you’ll also want to practice some form of dynamic warmup before the game begins. Serve some balls and move around a bit with some practice rallies so that your body gets used to some of the motions that it will experience once the game begins.

Mind Your Vitamin Intake – Work to prevent broken ankles and similar fractures by minding your vitamin and nutrient intake. Get a healthy dose of vitamins through your diet or with the help of supplements.

Mind Your Environment – Also be mindful of the weather and the surfaces you are playing on. You can become dehydrated and dizzy much more quickly in hot weather, and early morning games can have a slippery court if there is dew on the ground. Make sure you are playing in safe conditions, and this will lower your risk of an injury.

Treating Pickleball Injuries

Treating pickleball injuries can be done conservatively or with more hands-on care, depending on your specific needs. If you simply rolled your ankle or strained your calf, there’s a good chance that you can mange the injury on your own. If you believe you suffered a more severe injury like a fracture, head to a doctor’s office for an official diagnosis.

If you’re managing the condition on your own, the most common course of action is RICE, which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Take some time off, ice the area and keep it elevated to help limit swelling. Consider adding some stretching or physical therapy exercises after a couple of days depending on your level of discomfort, and then gradually ease back into physical activity as your body shows signs of being ready.

More severe injuries will require more time and hands-on care to address. You may need to have the area casted or confined to a walking boot for an extended period while healing runs its course, or it’s possible that a minimally invasive surgical procedure is necessary. Whatever the case, you’ll eventually progress into a similar conservative care plan following your hands-on care. You may need to rest, ice and elevate for weeks instead of days, but then you’ll eventually restrengthen the area with physical therapy, controlled exercise and a gradual return to sport.

The post Preventing And Treating Ankle Injuries In Pickleball appeared first on Lance Silverman, MD - Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon.

In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the ways you can prevent foot and ankle injuries if you’re a regular pickleball player or you’re considering picking up the sport.

Preventing Pickleball Foot And Ankle Injuries

Here’s a look at some of the ways you can help to prevent injuries to your feet and ankles if there’s plenty of pickleball in your future.

1. Choose The Right Shoes – One of the biggest sources of foot and ankle injuries on the pickleball court is due to someone wearing the wrong shoes. If you’re not wearing the right shoes, your feet can stick or your ankle can roll as you try to plant, twist and move. Even running shoes aren’t the best option, because they can provide too much grip for a sport that relies on side to side movement. Look for court shoes or pickleball specific shoes that will provide plenty of support but won’t cause your feet to stick when you need them to be able to slide a little.

2. Warm Up – This is a great tip for your whole body, not just your feet and ankles. Make sure you take 5-10 minutes to stretch before you start playing so that your muscles can ease into activity. This way they will be better able to handle the stress that will be placed on them. Go for a light jog, do some arm circles and stretch your back and hamstrings before you hit the pickleball court.

3. Listen To Your Body – If something just doesn’t feel right during your warm-up routine or you tweak something during a game, don’t try to play through it, because you could be putting yourself at risk for a much larger injury. Calf strains, rolled ankles and Achilles tendinitis pain all serve as warning signs that we should take the day off from intense physical activity. If you don’t, you may soon be dealing with a much worse injury. Listen to your body and stop if something starts to hurt.

4. Cross Train – Finally, make sure you’re working to develop muscles and other soft tissues when you’re not on the pickleball court. Other exercise activities will help to strengthen muscles and other body parts that you’ll rely on when playing pickleball, which can help prevent them from becoming overstressed when you’re on the court. If you only play pickleball and don’t work to develop muscles with other activities, your muscle development can become imbalanced and put you at a heightened risk for injuries.

If you suffer a foot or ankle injury on the pickleball court, or you’ve developed new foot pain and you suspect it has something to do with your activity regimen, reach out to Dr. Silverman’s office today.

The post Tips For Avoiding Foot And Ankle Injuries On The Pickleball Court appeared first on Lance Silverman, MD - Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon.