Pickleball injuries are on the rise as sport’s popularity grows

When Tamara Jones started playing pickleball around Wicker Park in March, she quickly went from a novice to a seasoned player. 

With a paddle in hand and a passion for the game, Jones, 26, said she was playing twice a day, every day for about four hours total. 

“It was borderline obsessive,” Jones said. “I would just hop out of bed, get dressed and head to the court. I wouldn’t wake up and stretch; I just wanted to play.” 

Her missteps would eventually lead to a calf muscle tear in May that left her on crutches, stuck at home and barely able to walk, forcing a monthlong hiatus from the sport.

Jones is one of many players taking a newfound liking to the sport who have suffered a pickleball-related injury. In the United States, the medical costs from those injuries are expected to reach $250 million to $500 million this year, according to a report from investment banking company UBS. 

Pickleball — combining elements of tennis, badminton and pingpong — is America’s fastest-growing sport, with nearly 9 million players aged 6 and older, an 85% increase from last year’s 4.8 million, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.

Last year, the Chicago Park District, citing pickleball mania, announced plans to add at least 50 pickleball courts citywide over the next three years. Since the announcement, 17 courts have been completed, according to the Park District. 

Vehniah Tjong, an orthopedic sports medicine doctor at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, sees at least one pickleball injury a week at her clinic. Most of those patients, she said, are between 40 and 70 years old.

“With more [pickleball] courts, especially throughout the city, people not only have more access, but they’re getting out there and then, unfortunately, getting hurt,” Tjong said.

Most common are elbow tendonitis (“tennis elbow”), knee injuries, such as meniscus tears, and flare-ups of arthritis. Such injuries usually require four to six weeks of physical therapy to treat as well as time away from playing pickleball to recover, she added.

More serious pickleball injuries, such as ACL tears and other ligament or tendon ruptures, require surgery and can keep someone off the court for upwards of a year, according to Tjong.  

Robert Teinowitz, 58, who frequents Horner Park to play pickleball, said he got tennis elbow — muscle strain from repetitive wrist and arm movements — last year after an indoor pickleball game.

“They don’t call it pickleball elbow yet, but I’m sure they will,” Teinowitz said. 

His recovery mainly consisted of physical therapy and switching to a special paddle that’s more elbow-friendly, he said. As he healed away from the courts for about four weeks, Teinowitz missed the pickleball community the most.

“It’s just a good group of people,” Teinowitz said. “It’s competitive without being obnoxious. It’s the camaraderie, the competitiveness, the fun, the social interaction that you miss.” 

How to avoid injuries

Jorge Chahla, a surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, said players should warm up before pickleball and cool down after a game. 

Chahla recommends dynamic stretching to warm up the muscles, such as fast-paced walking, jogging in place, squats and lunges.  

Those who haven’t been active in a few years should consider talking to their physician or physical therapist before hitting the court to better understand which muscles they may want to strengthen and stretch, Tjong said.  

Chahla said first-time players can do some light cardio workouts in the gym to prepare get their bodies for the quick movements and pivoting actions required in pickleball.

Despite the uptick in injuries, both Tjong and Chahla said people should not be scared to play. Better to be active than inactive, they agree.

“Cardiovascular disease is a way bigger problem than tendonitis from pickleball,” Chahla said.

Jones certainly isn’t scared to play. She’s been out of action since getting injured in May but can’t wait to get back on the court. And when she does, she’ll have a new perspective.

She now realized she should focus more on having fun than pushing herself to constantly get better.

“Pace yourself, enjoy the sport and don’t be overly competitive with yourself and feel that you have to immediately be one of the best on the courts,” Jones said. “Because, especially if you get injured, you’re going to end up stunting your progress.”