Pickleball Injuries: How to Protect Your Joints

Pickleball courts across the Inland Empire and San Gabriel Valley have never been busier. What started as a niche backyard game has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and community and recreation center courts throughout the Pomona Valley are seeing steady turnout from players of every age.

That surge in popularity has brought a corresponding rise in orthopedic injuries. Understanding why pickleball injuries happen, and how to prevent them, can help you enjoy the sport without an unplanned visit to an orthopedic specialist.

Why Pickleball Causes So Many Injuries

Pickleball combines quick lateral movements, sudden stops, and repetitive arm motion in a sport that many people take up later in life with little athletic ramp-up. Data cited by orthopedic and sports medicine physicians shows that adults over 50 account for the large majority of pickleball injuries treated in emergency departments, a pattern driven partly by the sport's accessibility to people who have not trained athletically in years.

The court itself plays a role as well. Quick direction changes near the non-volley zone, sometimes called the kitchen, place significant stress on the ankles and knees, while the paddle swing repeated dozens of times per game strains the elbow and shoulder.

The Most Common Pickleball Injuries

• Ankle sprains from quick lateral movement and direction changes
• Pickleball elbow, a tendon irritation similar to tennis elbow
• Rotator cuff strains from repetitive overhead and swinging motion
• Achilles tendon strain or, less commonly, rupture
• Knee ligament sprains from pivoting on hard court surfaces
• Wrist strains from mishit shots or falls

Falls are also a significant concern, particularly for older players, since a fall on an outstretched hand can cause a wrist fracture, and a fall onto the hip can be serious for anyone with reduced bone density.

Prevention Strategies That Actually Work

Warm Up and Build Conditioning Gradually

A dynamic warm-up that raises heart rate and loosens the shoulders, hips, and ankles before play significantly reduces strain injuries. Players who are new to the sport should build up playing frequency gradually rather than jumping straight into daily play, since many overuse injuries develop from too much volume too quickly.

Footwear and Court Awareness

Court shoes designed for lateral movement, rather than running shoes built for forward motion, provide better ankle support during the quick side-to-side movements pickleball demands. Being aware of uneven court surfaces and giving yourself space from other players also reduces fall risk.

Technique matters too. Relying on shoulder rotation rather than an arm-only swing reduces strain on the elbow tendon, and working with a coach or experienced player to refine your form can prevent the repetitive stress injuries that develop over a season of play.

When an Injury Needs More Than Rest

Minor soreness after a long session is normal, but certain symptoms warrant an orthopedic evaluation. These include an ankle that continues to swell or feels unstable after a few days, shoulder pain that limits your ability to lift your arm, elbow pain that persists despite rest, or any injury involving a fall with immediate, significant pain.

Modifying Play as You Age or Return From Injury

Many pickleball players are returning to competitive activity for the first time in years, and it is worth treating that transition with the same caution you would apply to any new exercise program. Starting with shorter sessions, playing doubles rather than the more physically demanding singles format, and taking a rest day between sessions early on all reduce the overuse injuries that come from doing too much too soon.

Players returning from a prior injury, such as a previous ankle sprain or rotator cuff strain, often benefit from a brief course of physical therapy focused on the specific demands of pickleball before returning to regular play. Strengthening the muscles around a previously injured joint reduces the chance of re-injury far more effectively than simply hoping the joint will hold up.

Local recreation centers and community courts throughout the Pomona Valley have also seen a rise in structured beginner clinics, which can be a lower-risk way to learn proper technique before jumping into competitive play with more experienced partners.

Cross-training on non-playing days, focusing on core strength, hip stability, and lower-body flexibility, also builds a foundation that reduces injury risk during the quick, multidirectional movements pickleball requires. Players who only play pickleball and do no other conditioning tend to see injuries accumulate faster than those who balance the sport with general fitness work.

Equipment Considerations That Affect Injury Risk

Paddle grip size and weight can influence elbow strain more than most players realize. A grip that is too small forces the hand to squeeze harder to maintain control, transferring extra vibration and stress to the forearm tendons with every shot, a common contributor to pickleball elbow. Working with a knowledgeable retailer to match paddle weight and grip size to your hand can meaningfully reduce this risk.

Protective eyewear is another often overlooked piece of equipment, particularly for players who spend significant time at the non-volley zone line in doubles, where the ball travels at high speed and short distances. Standard sunglasses do not offer adequate impact protection, while sports eyewear rated for ball sports does.

The Bottom Line

Pickleball offers real health benefits, from cardiovascular fitness to social connection, and most players can continue enjoying the sport safely with a few precautions. The key is respecting the physical demands of the game, warming up properly, and not ignoring pain that lingers past a day or two of rest.

As the sport continues to grow in popularity across the region, taking these precautions seriously matters more, not less, since more first-time and returning athletes means more opportunities for preventable injury when conditioning and technique are overlooked.

Our sports medicine team works with pickleball players throughout Claremont, the Inland Empire, and the San Gabriel Valley to treat injuries and get people back on the court safely.