Pickleball and Physical Therapy

By Clint Choquette DPT, Habits Physical Therapy, Nampa, ID

Pickleball is a fast-growing sport, and I think it’s a great sport. Anything that encourages people to get out, be active, and socialize are great for us in a number of ways. It is however associated with a high injury risk especially in those 50 and above. That is not surprising given it is a stop and start sport with quick movements involved. While many different age ranges are picking up the sport, it is especially popular with older adults as it is seen as a safer alternative and not quite as demanding as a sport like tennis.

One thing that happens as we age, we tend to not to perform activities that require quick movements near as often. Our bodies adapt to what we ask it to do. If we do not ask our muscles to move quick for a long time, then pick up a sport where that is often the case, our muscles, tendons, and joints will not be accustomed to this, and thus increase our risk of injury. I think a lot of people go into it thinking they will take it easy, but it is a reactionary sport where we don’t always have time to think about what we are doing and may push it harder than we expected before realizing it.

We can however exercise to prepare our body for the demands of the task to reduce our risk of injury. Our bodies are adaptable, but it does take time and consistency to make significant changes. We need to incorporate some strength training so our tissues are ready to handle the necessary loads that will be placed on them. We also need to spend some time moving quickly to again prepare our bodies for what we will be doing. Another great benefit of exercise is it may improve your performance in pickleball but also have a positive benefit on overall health and function. I do think having an appropriate warm-up more than just static stretching, that gets our heart rate up and us moving can be important for reducing injury risk as well.

If you do find yourself with an injury it can be frustrating to overcome and get yourself back to enjoying the hobbies that you love. That is where working with a trained professional can help you manage your injury, provide a prognosis, and get a clear gameplan to get you back to enjoying those tasks as quickly and safely as possible. One of the great things about people who enjoy pickleball, is they already have an enjoyment for getting out and moving. As a physical therapist, one of our most difficult tasks is often getting people to move more, which is why working with a population like this is so enjoyable. Some of the hard work is already done and that is why I think the pickleball community has such potential to benefit greatly from physical therapy!

📞 Contact:
Habits Physical Therapy LLC
8 6th St N, Suite 102
Nampa, ID 83687
406-560-1048
habitspt.com