Pickleball is a sport surging in popularity. In fact, Florida leads the nation with more pickleball courts than any other state.
There are about 1,230 locations across the Sunshine State, making it a hub for enthusiasts, but health experts are raising a red flag, noting a staggering 90-fold increase in pickleball-related injuries.
Picklers say it’s just as easy to get hurt in the game as it is to play it
Cristian Occupati and Matias Morello play pickleball for hours at a time at Weston Regional Park because they love the sport.
“I think it has to do with how easy it is to play,” Morello said. “Anyone can just come to the court and pick it up.”
However, the players told CBS News Miami they’ve also seen things go horribly wrong.
Occupati described witnessing a pickleball player recently take a nasty fall.
“The ball went over there, so he jumped over the fence to come back and play, but his shoe got stuck in the fence and he ended up face-planting on the floor,” he said.
A perturbing spike in pickleball-related injuries
Doctor Geden Franck, the head physician for Memorial Health Systems’ Orthopedic Sports Medicine Center, told CBS News Miami there has been a concerning spike in pickleball injuries.
According to the National Library of Medicine, the number of people who ended up in U.S. emergency rooms because of pickleball injuries increased by 91% from 2020 to 2022, rising from 8,894 injuries to 16,997 injuries.
Pickleball-related hospital admissions were also drastically higher, up 257% from 2020 in 2022, with 992 hospital admissions five years ago to 3,541 hospital admissions two years later.
“They trip, and then have a fracture,” Franck said. “It could be the ribs, the wrist, the elbow, or the shoulder.”
He said some of the issues are even more serious.
“We’re also seeing many cases of heart attacks,” Franck said. “That’s one of the things we tell patients: before they start exercising, they should consult their doctor.”
Franck is helping pickleball player Marcos Ritter get back into the game.
An avid player, Ritter developed a severe case of “pickleball elbow” that started to affect his quality of life.
“You know, getting a jug of milk out of the refrigerator and things like that,” he said.
Stretching and simple exercises help picklers keep playing
To help prevent injuries, Franck suggests dynamic stretching exercises before hitting the court.
Some effective dynamic stretches for pickleball players include:
- Leg swings
- Arm circles
- Hip circles
- High knees
- Bottom kicks
Other helpful warm-up exercises include jogging, side shuffles, lunges, and shoulder shrugs.
Doctors said following these simple guidelines will help you stay in the game and enjoy all the benefits pickleball has to offer.
Health experts added that playing the sport not only helps people live longer but also promotes better mental health by reducing the risk of depression through social interaction. They said players also see lower cholesterol levels and enjoy a boost in vitamin D thanks to all that sunny court time.
