Pickleball has become a favorite sport today for all ages because it is easy to play, but this makes many pickleball players subjective, leading to injuries.
What are the risks of playing pickleball?
Specialist Doctor II Ngo Thanh Y – Deputy Head of the Department of On-Demand Treatment and Sports Medicine, People’s Hospital 115 – said that pickleball is increasingly popular because it is easy to play and suitable for many ages.
Because it is easy to play, many people are subjective, do not prepare, and warm up thoroughly, leading to the risk of injury.
Some specific factors of this sport also make players susceptible to risks such as:
Because the field is small, players have to move quickly and change direction continuously in a narrow space. This puts a lot of pressure on joints such as knees, ankles and hips, easily leading to muscle strains or sprains.
In addition, in pickleball, the net height is only about 90cm in the middle and about 100cm at both ends, significantly lower than the net of badminton and tennis. The ball is light, often flies and bounces low, forcing players to bend, lunge (the movement of bringing one leg forward and bending the knee) or squat many times.
These movements, if repeated or performed incorrectly, will put great pressure on the knees, hips and lower back.
In addition, the ball used to play pickleball is often light, sometimes affected by the external environment such as strong winds, or rough, substandard court surfaces that change the direction of the ball, forcing players to handle quickly or perform unnatural movements, which can easily cause injury.
Many players have the habit of standing still waiting for the ball, but when the ball comes, they have to perform sudden movements such as turning, jumping hard or diving to catch the ball. This increases the risk of muscle strain and joint injury because the body is not ready.
Common injuries
According to Italian doctors, there are a few common injuries when playing pickleball:
Sprains and strains: Occur when players make sudden changes of direction or move quickly in a narrow space without good control.
Movements such as lunges or strong turns can easily strain or sprain the ankle and knee, and in more severe cases can cause ligament rupture or dislocation. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and limited mobility in the injured area.
Tendinitis and joint pain: Repeating the same movements, such as hitting the ball with the wrist or elbow without using the whole body, can easily cause tendonitis in the elbow or wrist. Using a heavy racket or the wrong size grip also increases the risk.
Symptoms include pain in the wrist, elbow, or shoulder, especially when gripping or performing repetitive movements. Mild swelling or a burning sensation in the area of the inflamed tendon.
Lower back pain: due to bending too much or maintaining an incorrect posture when receiving a low ball is the main cause. Using the back muscles excessively to perform bending movements, instead of putting force on the legs, can easily cause lower back strain.
Symptoms include a feeling of pain, stiffness in the lower back, difficulty bending or standing up straight after playing.
Injuries due to falls or collisions: Small playing fields and close distances between players, especially in doubles matches, increase the risk of collision with teammates or falling due to slipping.
Players will have bruises, swelling, or soreness in the area of collision. In more serious cases, dislocations or fractures may occur.
Spend at least 10-15 minutes warming up
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