Preventing Pickleball Injuries: How Sports Chiropractic Can Help
Pickleball has grown in popularity in recent years as an accessible and affordable way to stay active and socially engaged. Public parks, apartment buildings, and sports and recreation facilities are all installing pickleball courts to meet the growing demand.
Considered somewhat easier than tennis due to the smaller court size, lighter equipment, more adaptable rules, and slower-moving ball, pickleball is attractive to people of all ages and skill sets. However, that doesn’t mean playing this popular sport is without risk of injury.
Because many people consider pickleball a casual, recreational activity instead of an actual sport, they don’t prepare for play by warming up, stretching, and conditioning beforehand. This can be a mistake because even recreational pickleball requires players to possess a certain amount of mobility, flexibility, balance, and range of motion to avoid getting hurt.
The most often reported pickleball injuries include strains and sprains to the knee, ankle, and elbow, but trips and falls on the court due to sudden movement and shifts in balance can also lead to fractures. Overuse injuries are common, as well.
All players should warm up properly, ease into play (not playing too much or too often), and have the correct equipment, including footwear.
Sports chiropractic care can help players better condition their bodies for play to prevent and heal pickleball injuries.
Assessing overall biomechanics and movement quality
Sports chiropractors can identify muscle weaknesses/imbalances or alignment issues that may compromise movement and increase the risk of injury, then work with patients to strengthen weaker areas.
Improving mobility
Sports chiropractic care involves hands-on manipulation and massage, along with multiple specialized treatment modalities to improve joint mobility in shoulders, elbows, wrists, and knees, which are often stressed and strained during pickleball play.
Prescribing exercises
An individualized sports chiropractic plan will be tailored around sports-specific (and patient-specific) stretching and strengthening exercises that target the muscles used most often in pickleball. Your practitioner can also recommend cross-training plans to improve your overall conditioning in between matches.
Educating on proper technique
Your sports chiropractic specialist can help design appropriate warm-up and cool-down routines and offer advice on both proper technique and selecting the right equipment.
While pickleball is a physically and socially beneficial way to stay active and engaged, it is much more enjoyable when played safely. DTX Sports Medicine can help you optimize your overall body functionality to enhance your on-court experience.
