a shot that involves a lot of “wrist action,” once again
placing excessive stress on the wrist and elbow.
When you start experiencing pain in the lateral elbow, it
is imperative to stop playing immediately. Don’t wait three
to four weeks hoping the problem will just magically go
away. It will only get worse. The pain is a sign that there is
something wrong, and playing through it is not beneficial.
Instead, think about the long run and big picture; stop
playing for the time being and take away the excessive
stress placed on the elbow.
Second, consult a physical therapist who has experience
with tennis players or pickleball players. He/she will be
able to perform a thorough examination and determine
the best course of action for you. The initial phase of
your recovery will involve pain control, manual therapy
interventions targeted at decreasing your inflammation,
muscle tightness, and joint restrictions. Once the pain has
been controlled and other impairments addressed, it is
time for muscle re-education and strengthening in order to
normalize the muscle balance in the shoulder, elbow, and
forearm.
Once your physical therapist determines you are ready
for discharge and return to pickleball, it is important
that you consult a certified pickleball instructor. He/
she will be able to look at the way you hit the ball and fix
possible flaws in your mechanics in order to ensure that
what caused the injury is addressed. In addition, the
instructor can address dinking techniques, footwork,
and movement efficiency, which will reduce the
overall stress placed on your body when you play.
Finally, people often ask me if the weight of the
paddle makes a difference, and whether they should
get a lighter or heavier paddle. While changing your
paddle may have an effect on Pickleball Elbow, and
some people may say that their pain went away after
switching, it should not be the main factor. Many
top players play with paddles of all kinds of weights
(ranging from 7 oz. to 10 oz.) successfully and without
pain, as their mechanics are sound. Pickleball Elbow
can occur no matter what weight your paddle is, so
addressing the root cause is the main objective if you
have pain.
If you have any questions, you can contact the
Pickleball Doctor at [email protected]. •
Noe Sariban is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified Pickleball Teaching
Professional through the IPTPA, and a USAPA-rated 5.0 player sponsored
by Engage Pickleball. Please visit www.thepickleballdoctor.com for more
information on injury prevention and rehabilitation tips. Noe started his
website to provide pickleball players around the world with a reliable and
free source of information. Please like his Facebook page, www.facebook.
com/pickleballdoctor, for updates and new information.
Jumping Jamaica Fun Time
Pickleball Adventure
Have you ever been on a Pickleball Trip? If Not? Here’s the one for you! If
you have then you know how much fun we have! It’s a 7-day trip to the
luxury ALL-INCLUSIVE 5-star Sandals Resort in Jamaica with Oceanfront
rooms and specialty restaurants. It everything from water/land activities
to white sandy beaches, 3-beautiful pools, then add pickleball and you
now have your perfect vacation!! Offering special rooms rates for the
week of Nov. 9 to 16, 2019. Rooms filling fast, call or email us today.
YES, PICTURES ARE WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS!!
sort
Sandals Re siv
All-Inclu e
Pricing special
ult
$1,666 per ad
For Double
Occupancy
Vacation Details: [email protected]
Jackie Vohs: 702-525-4901, [email protected]
MAY/JUNE 2019 |
MAGAZINE
83