Injury Prevention Techniques to Keep You on the Court

 While setbacks and injuries happen, here are some things you can do to reduce your risk:

• Sprains occur from stretching or tearing ligaments. Quick lateral or rotational movements can stress ligaments beyond what they can handle and result in rolled ankles and knee sprains.
• Strains involve larger muscles that are stretched too rapidly, resulting in tears in the muscle belly. This often occurs in legs, backs and shoulder muscles known as the rotator cuff.
• Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendon which connects muscles to bones. This is caused by repetitive trauma and overuse.
• Fractures, breaking or cracking of bones can occur when bracing a fall with hands and arms. If an ankle sprain is severe enough, it can also result in a fracture at the joint.

Our physical therapists treat a lot of pickleball injuries in our centers across the U.S. So, what are the big ones and how can you prevent them from occurring?

• Warm up and cool down – Ensuring your body is appropriately prepared for the movement demands of pickleball is key. Incorporate a dynamic warmup that improves blood flow to muscles and stretches to lengthen muscles. Using static stretches to cool down can aid in muscle recovery.
• Fuel for performance – Eating a clean, well-balanced diet rich with high-quality nutrients aids in performance and recovery. Hydration before and after play is critical too.
• Gear up – Make sure your footwear is designed for bounding and lateral movements. Choose apparel that allows for movement and wicks moisture. If you sweat a lot, hats, visors, headbands and wristbands may be useful.
• Strength and balance training – Both can keep muscles and joints prepared for the high demands of pickleball and improve on-court performance. Such training allows your body to prepare for dynamic and unpredictable motions that occur in practice gameplay.