Millions of Americans have traded their tennis rackets, golf clubs and treadmills for a pickleball paddle, and the sport shows no signs of slowing down. The compact court and social atmosphere make it accessible to a wide range of ages and fitness levels, from college students to retirees playing doubles three mornings a week.
Like any sport that involves quick movements and repetitive swings, pickleball does come with some injury risk. But most pickleball injuries are manageable, and many are even preventable. Knowing how to protect your body means you can keep showing up to play the sport you enjoy.
Pickleball’s growth has been extraordinary. According to USA Pickleball, the number of players in the US rose from 4.8 million in 2021 to 8.9 million in 2023. As participation has climbed, so have injury rates.
A 2025 study published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine found that national estimates of pickleball-related emergency department visits increased from approximately 1,313 in 2014 to 24,461 in 2023, which is a significant rise that mirrors the sport's rapid expansion.
A separate nationwide survey of 1,758 pickleball players published in Sports Medicine — Open (2025) found that 69% of respondents reported experiencing an injury over the course of a year, including both injuries that required time off and those that didn't.
These numbers reflect just how much the sport has grown and they also underscore why understanding injury patterns and prevention strategies matters for anyone who plays pickleball regularly.
Pickleball injuries generally fall into two categories: overuse injuries that develop gradually over time, and acute injuries that happen suddenly during play.
Often called "pickleball elbow" (but also known as “tennis elbow”), lateral epicondylitis has become one of the most frequently seen pickleball-related conditions. It results from repetitive wrist and arm movements that strain the tendons in the forearm, creating inflammation and pain on the outer side of the elbow.
This condition can progress beyond the court, eventually making it uncomfortable to do many everyday activities like type, carry groceries or even hold a coffee cup. The pain typically starts during play and may be easy to overlook at first, which is why catching it early is important.
Related: 4 best tennis elbow exercises to relieve elbow pain
The shoulder takes a significant amount of stress during pickleball, particularly from overhead serves and hard swings. Rotator cuff tendinitis, which is inflammation of the tendons that stabilize the shoulder, is among the more common overuse injuries seen in players, especially those who play pickleball frequently or at high intensity.
More serious rotator cuff tears can also occur, sometimes due to a fall or an awkward swing. These injuries often present as persistent shoulder pain, weakness when lifting the arm or difficulty reaching overhead.
Bothered by shoulder pain? Take our quiz
Quick lateral movement is central to pickleball play, and the ankle is particularly vulnerable when a player plants his or her foot and pivots unexpectedly. Ankle sprains can range from minor ligament stretches that resolve with rest to more significant tears that require rehabilitation.
Your Achilles tendon, the thick band running along the back of the lower leg, absorbs enormous force during the stop-and-start nature of pickleball. Achilles tendinitis, a gradual overuse condition, often begins as morning stiffness or mild heel pain that worsens during activity.
A complete Achilles rupture sits at the more serious end of the spectrum. Unlike tendinitis, which builds gradually, a rupture tends to happen in a single moment, like from a hard push-off or a quick change of direction. It typically produces an audible “pop” sound followed by immediate pain and an inability to push off the foot.
Your calves can take a real beating in pickleball. The sport's explosive push-offs, sudden direction changes and repeated lunging motions place significant demand on the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, which are the two muscles that make up the calf. When one of those muscles is overstretched or tears, the result is a calf strain.
A study tracking pickleball injuries at a single institution from 2017 to 2022 found that calf strain or tear was the fourth most common pickleball injury overall, representing 5.7% of all injuries seen.
Calf strains present themselves as a sudden, sharp pain or a sensation of being snapped in the back of the lower leg. They can be severe enough that you might assume you’ve ruptured your Achilles. The key difference is the location of the injury. A calf strain is higher up in the muscle, while an Achilles injury is felt lower, closer to the heel.
The constant change of direction in pickleball places stress on your knee joint, particularly if you are also managing underlying wear-and-tear or arthritis. Ligament sprains and meniscus tears are also seen in knee injuries from pickleball, most often when a player makes a sudden twist or absorbs impact awkwardly.
Bone fractures, while less common than soft tissue injuries, do occur, usually as the result of a fall. Research presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons found a 90 fold increase in pickleball-related bone fractures over a 20-year period, primarily among players aged 60-69. Upper-body bones such as the forearm and wrist were most frequently affected.
Pickleball eye injuries are a less-discussed but growing concern in the sport. A study estimated more than 1,200 pickleball-related eye injuries in 2024 alone, representing an increase of roughly 405 injuries per year between 2021 and 2024. The most common mechanism was being struck by the ball. Protective eyewear, which many players currently skip, offers straightforward prevention.
Pickleball injury prevention doesn't require an elaborate routine, but it does require consistency. The players who stay on the court long-term tend to be the ones who treat preparation and recovery as part of the game, not an afterthought.
How you respond in the hours and days after a pickleball injury can make a difference in how quickly you get back on the court. Most injuries fall into one of two categories: those you can manage at home with some basic self-care and those that need a medical professional's assistance to heal properly.
For minor sprains and muscle strains, self-care is typically the right starting point. The RICE method remains a reliable approach immediately after an injury:
Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications can help with discomfort and swelling when appropriate.
For mild overuse injuries like early-stage pickleball elbow or Achilles tendinitis, reducing playing time and incorporating targeted stretching and strengthening exercises often allows recovery while staying active. Your primary care physician, an orthopedist or a physical therapist can provide guidance on what's appropriate for your situation.
Some injuries call for professional evaluation sooner rather than later. Seek care if you experience:
An orthopedic specialist can assess the extent of your injury and outline a path to get you back on the court. In many cases, a short course of physical therapy is all that's needed to resolve the issue and address any movement patterns that may have contributed to it.
A pickleball injury doesn't have to mean the end of your playing days. Most players who experience an injury recover fully and return to play, often with a better understanding of how to protect their bodies going forward.
The key is to play thoughtfully and prepare consistently. With attention to those basics, the pickleball court will be there for you for years to come.
Living with a pickleball injury? Find a doctor near you or get orthopedic care today.
Khalid Yousuf, MD, MS, is an orthopedic surgeon on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Plano, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – McKinney and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Centennial. He focuses on hip and knee replacements. He utilizes surgical and technological advancements to offer his patients relief from joint pain, including partial knee replacements and anterior hip approach. He received advanced training in joint replacement surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Dr. Yousuf attended medical school at Louisiana State University in New Orleans and completed his orthopedic residency at the University of Oklahoma. In his free time, Dr. Yousuf enjoys spending time with his wife and three daughters. They love cooking, traveling and swimming together.
Healthcare doesn't have to be difficult. We're constantly finding ways to make it easy so that you can get Better and stay that way.
We all have different healthcare needs. Handle them your way with the MyBSWHealth app. Download the app today and take a hands-on approach to your healthcare.
