Pickleball in “Pickleburgh” is following the trend as the fastest-growing sport in the United States. First played in 1965, participation has increased by 225% over the last three years, according to The Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Unfortunately, more players means more injuries. The Journal of Emergency Medicine estimated that there are about 19,000 pickleball-related injuries annually, with more than 90% involving patients aged 50 years or older. When factoring in visits to Urgent Care, Primary Care, and Orthopedic visits, it’s clear that we’re facing a true injury epidemic. Like with so many other health issues, prevention is the best medicine and the JAA is doing its best to keep our community ahead of the curve.
Physical Therapists at PT@JCC recently held our second annual Pickleball Injury Prevention clinic at the Squirrel Hill JCC. “Pickleball is not a dangerous sport. Many injuries can actually be avoided with education and safety awareness,” says PTA Rileigh Devine. “By far, most of the injuries we see are fractures, sprains and muscle tears due to falls,” added Devine. We also see a lot of overuse injuries, such as rotator cuff tendonitis and plantar fasciitis.”
Michelle Lucas, DPT, emphasized the importance of maintaining good flexibility, strength and balance in order to help reduce risk of falls. She also discussed proper footwear, eye protection and playing opponents of similar ability as a way to prevent potential injury while playing. Michelle, along with several other PT@JCC Physical Therapists provided exercise demonstrations, handouts and resistive bands to those in attendance. “Pickleball is a sport that can be enjoyed by athletes of all ages and abilities,” said Lucas. “We want to help keep Pittsburghers on the court and out of the doctor’s office.”
– Scott Rosen, PT, DPT
Director of Rehabilitation Services