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Lower Extremity Injuries in Pickleball
Sports-related injuries are considered commonplace in athletics . It ’ s estimated that sports injuries account for about 20 percent of all emergency department visits in children ages 6-19 , and more than 2 million adults will receive treatment for injuries related to sports participation each year . Pickleball is no exception . Injuries occur , keeping players away from this addicting game we cannot get enough of .
Lower extremity injuries are extremely common in pickleball since the sport requires various movements in multiple directions , including running , sidestepping , cutting , jumping ( and therefore landing ), and backpedaling . All these movements place participants at high risk for non-contact injuries , which can vary from minor ( such as a small muscle pull ) to severe ( such as an ACL tear ).
The biggest predictor of future injury is a history of a prior injury . It is therefore important for pickleball players to acknowledge the demands of this growing sport and realize that preparation is the only effective way to prevent injuries . Incorporating a routine that promotes injury prevention is the key to keeping players on the courts longer and playing pickleball in a safer way !