At the Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Institute, we are now seeing many elderly patients coming in with pickleball injuries.
Pickleball is a highly competitive sport. It combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong and has recently become popular among people of all ages. But while everyone is having a lot of fun and getting some great exercise, we at CFAI want you to be aware of the injury risk and take precautions to avoid them.
Pickleball, like tennis, can put players at risk for many toe, foot and ankle injuries. We have seen an increase in injuries from patients that play the this sport including the following:
Ankle sprains, strains, and fractures,
Achilles tendinitis, tears, ruptures and strains,
Toenail injuries
Metatarsal fractures
Broken toes
Onychomycosis which is a fungal infection of the toenail
To protect against injury on the court players of any age or fitness level you should also warm up and stretch before a practice or game, and cooldown afterward. They should also be sure to wear proper athletic shoes that are well fitting, supported and broken in, as well as appropriate orthotics as needed for things like additional arch support. Court shoes are highly recommended
Everyone from little kids to their grandparents need to be smart and immediately address any injuries that happened on the court. As a first step players can use the RICE approach which is rest ice compression and elevation. These are for minor or less serious injuries and this will allow time for recovery before hitting the cord again.
If the pain persists it may be signaling something more serious that requires a professional diagnosis and treatment plan from a foot and ankle surgeon through our foot and ankle services. For players to find themselves in a bind, early intervention is the key to proper healing.
During pickleball, we see patients that have simple to complex injuries in patients of all ages including injuries sustained while playing this sport. These include ankle sprains, strains and fractures, Achilles tendinitis Achilles tendon ruptures and strains. Toenail injuries are very common because the shoe jams directly onto the toe. Many times stress fractures can occur as well as full-blown metatarsal fractures and fractures of the toes are very common.
There is usually much swelling in these injuries. And sometimes traction neuritis can occur with severe burning and tingling sensation.
At the Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Institute we specialize in treating these problems. We specialize in Regenerative Medical Therapy for the Foot and Ankle injuries. This includes the use of a Laser Therapy, Acoustic Sound Wave Therapy (ESWT), Stem cell like injections, Red Light Therapy, as well as the use of Peptides. This type of treatment will allow the athlete to get back to their sport as soon as possible.
If you are actively involved in pickleball and sustain any of these types of injuries please notify us immediately—contact us today.
