Pickleball Magazine 4-3 | Page 85

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