Pickleball Injury Prevention and Recovery: Can a Chiropractor Therapy?

Pickleball, a hybrid sport that is a cross between tennis, badminton, and table tennis, is a sport that has become a fad in the Philippines and many parts of the world. Introduced by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum, it’s now an organized, recreational, and competitive sport. Its popularity skyrocketed after the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s safe to say that it isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

A relatively low-impact game, pickleball still requires players to perform repetitive arm swings, lateral shuffling, and continuous reaching. Movements that may stress the joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Because of this, a number of players often encounter injuries. From minor sprains and muscle strains, the list goes on.

Putting the said factors into consideration, it’s no wonder many turn to chiropractic therapy and other holistic approaches to prevent common injuries and recover faster.

Why pickleball can cause injuries

Due to a combination of fast as well as explosive movements, coupled with playing on hard surfaces, pickleball can cause injuries. Elaborated below are pickleball demands that can trigger injuries.

Quick stops and starts

Some of the most common movements in pickleball are shuffling, lunging, pivoting, and decelerating. These movements, especially if performed without proper warm-up, can place stress and inappropriate amounts of tension on the ankles, knees, calves, hips, and lower back.

Repetitive swings

Frequent serves, drives, backhands, dinks, and even heavy paddle gripping can irritate your muscle tissues within the wrist, elbow, forearm, and shoulder area. You’re more vulnerable if you increase your game frequency too rapidly or you have poor techniques and form.

Poor equipment, footwear, and court conditions

Using the wrong footwear can heighten the probability of encountering sprains, strains, and other similar injuries. The wrong paddle grip can put stress on the wrist, forearm, and hands, leading to overuse injuries. Additionally, slippery or uneven playing surfaces may lead to slips and falls.

What are common pickleball injuries?

The most common injuries come from repetitive movements and sudden movement changes. Some of the most notable ones are elaborated below.

Elbow and forearm pain. Frequent swinging and gripping can lead to pain in the interior or exterior of the elbow as well as the forearm. Causing elbow soreness and wrist discomfort.
Shoulder pain. Overhead shots, serving, repetitive forehands, and reaching can overwork the shoulder. You may notice pain when lifting the arm, serving, or performing backhand movement.
Low back pain. Constant twisting, bending, and lowering of the body can cause fatigue and lead to back pain.
Knee pain. The knee absorbs force when you squat, lunge, or change direction. Pickleball-related knee injuries range from overuse injuries to sprains.
Ankle pain. Sudden stops, awkward landings, and other similar movements can lead to ankle pain.
Wrist injuries. Wrist injuries are other well-documented injuries among pickleball players, and they’re caused by tight grip pressure and overuse.

The good news is that the abovementioned injuries can be prevented with chiropractic therapy, especially if coupled with warm-up, cool-down, and gradual increase in game intensity.

How chiropractic therapy can help pickleball players

Chiropractic therapy can help pickleball players when it comes to injury prevention and recovery. This is the reason why many serious pickleball players and weekend warriors include the said holistic approach in their sports regimen. After all, it’s a drug-free method for those who want to achieve pain relief and return to court without relying on medication—topical or oral.

How chiropractic therapy can help prevent pickleball injuries

Chiropractic therapy is a proactive approach that you can turn to if you’re a pickleball player who wants to make sure that your musculoskeletal health is optimized. Some key ways it can prevent injuries.

Boosting joint mobility and flexibility

Stiff joints, restricted movement, and the like can increase the probability of encountering strains and sprains. Spinal adjustments included in chiro therapy can ensure that your joints can achieve their full range of motion.

Fixing postural imbalances. Poor posture, whether from text neck, extended sitting hours, repetitive movements, or improper lifting, can put excessive strain on joints and muscles. If not immediately addressed, it can lead to chronic pain, discomfort, and injuries. Chiro therapy can help correct spinal subluxation and joint subluxation that contribute to poor posture and injuries when performing sports activities.

Improving nervous system function. A “well-oiled” nervous system that enables muscles as well as joints to work effectively and efficiently. Spinal adjustments can fix nerve signal interference, which in turn promotes enhanced movement control.

Scale down muscle tension and imbalance. Muscle tightness and weakness can stress the body, making certain body parts prone to injury. Chiropractic therapy can restore muscular balance and minimize inappropriate tension.

Advancing body mechanics and movement. Whether you’re a serious pickleball player or a weekend warrior, proper mechanics is a must if you want to prevent injuries. Your chiropractor, especially if they specialize in sports injuries, can fix movement patterns before they lead to strains, sprains, and overuse injuries, among others.

By holistically managing underlying musculoskeletal or biomechanical irregularities, chiropractic therapy can help the body become injury resistant.

How chiropractic therapy can help in pickleball recovery

Chiropractic therapy is not about waiting for pickleball injury prevention. If done properly and regularly, it can help restore movement, improve strength, and develop tolerance for pickleball-specific demands.

Your chiropractor can help address musculoskeletal issues and formulate a recovery plan that can help you get back to the playing court.

Step 1. Manage symptoms and at the same time reduce aggravating activity. For mild injuries, which include strains, sprains, and overuse, cutting down exposure to movements that may increase inflammation or swelling may be advised by your chiropractic doctor.

For acute pickleball injuries, they may encourage rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). On the other hand, more serious ailments may require a customized plan rather than a conventional chiropractic approach.

Step 2. Restore mobility, improve strength, and enhance balance. Once your symptoms like pain and swelling improve, your chiropractic doctor may move over to restoring muscle movement, strength in the affected area, and balance.

It should be noted that there are different approaches for pickleball recovery, depending on your degree of injury. For instance, if you’re recovering from a mild sprain, you should not return to play just because you can walk pain-free. You should also be able to perform side-by-side movement or perform forward as well as backward movement without discomfort.

Step 3. Strategically introduce pickleball-specific movements. Prior to full exposure to pickleball activities or games, your chiropractic doctor may encourage you to slowly introduce controlled movements that can help you get back to the playing court.

The long list may include short brisk walks, shadow racket swings, gentle paddle drills, short shuffles, low-intensity rallies, and so on. Here, the objective is to somehow test how your body can tolerate pickleball-related movements before full exposure to high-intensity pickleball games.

Step 4. Gradually return to play. After regular chiropractic treatment and chiro-approved home workouts, your doctor may finally allow you to return to play. But they may also encourage you to start with less playing time, then slowly (but surely) increase game duration.

Step 5. Check for symptoms. Your chiropractic may then encourage you to monitor your injury after the game, later in the day, or upon waking up the next day. Make sure to stop playing, reduce games, or seek chiro assessment when you encounter pain and discomfort, swelling, compromised movement, and so on.

Chiropractic techniques for injury prevention and better recovery

To help prevent injury and improve recovery, your chiropractic doctor will perform a number of tried and tested techniques. They are as follows:

Spinal and joint adjustments. These are manual adjustments that are specifically designed to restore function and movement. They also reduce stress on the joints and muscles,Soft which can contribute to the development of injuries.
Soft tissue therapy. This is a hands-on approach that can help address tight muscles, fix scar tissue, and boost flexibility.
Postural correction therapy. Your chiro doctor identifies, then corrects your posture habits. This, in turn, minimizes spinal as well as joint stress. Take note that poor posture can also contribute to pickleball injuries.
Functional movement assessment. Your chiropractic doctor analyzes your flexibility, gait, and strength to pinpoint weak areas. Afterward, they correct weak movement patterns that may contribute to injuries or compromised movements.
Rehabilitation and strength training. Your chiro doctor may recommend workouts and activities that can improve joint stability, muscle strength and balance, and ensure that your body can handle the physical challenges of pickleball games.

How to prevent pickleball injuries and recover faster with help from your chiropractor

Your chiropractor can also give proper guidance that can help you prevent injuries and recover faster. Read on for details.

Warm-up

Warm-up is something that is overlooked by many. Including seasoned athletes. An extensive warm-up session is essential since it prepares the body for strenuous movements that you’ll perform in chiropractic games.

Many sports doctors encourage hip and shoulder openers for pickleball. They also encourage engaging in low-intensity activities like high knees, walking lunges, or short walks before pickleball games.

Cool-down

Cool-down is another activity that’s overlooked by many. Cooling down is important since it brings your heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature to normal levels after an intense activity, which in this case is pickleball. Additionally, it relaxes the joints and muscles.

Eat properly

Proper nutrition can help prevent injuries, and at the same time, improve recovery. Giving your body the appropriate amount vitamins as well as minerals can strengthen your joints, bones, and muscles. Reducing the risk of fractures and other similar injuries that you may encounter in pickleball games.

Chiropractic therapy limitations for pickleball injuries

Chiropractic therapy can be a part of conservative care for pickleball injuries and can help you recover faster. However, it’s not a “magic pill” for every cause of pickleball injury. Here are the limitations of this holistic approach for treating pickleball injuries:

It cannot treat all pickleball injuries

Pickleball injuries vary when it comes to severity. Severe fractures, dislocations, ligament tears, and serious falls require more extensive medical procedures. Consequently, chiro treatment cannot and does not replace medical emergency care, specialist management, surgery, and specialist management when necessary.

For instance, if you fall and develop a deformed wrist or dislocated shoulder and you’re unable to bear weight, it’s safe to say that you need to seek immediate medical evaluation. In line with these guidelines, it should be noted that sprains, strains, fractures, and traumatic injuries are some of the most common conditions that contribute to pickleball players seeking medical care.

Chiropractic therapy doesn’t replace clinical diagnosis

Pain at a certain body part can be caused by a range of factors. For instance, elbow pain may be caused by an overuse issue, arthritis, or fracture. Plus, some ailments develop from biomechanical problems that occur when one body part takes on more load due to an injury in another body part.

Despite its limitations, chiropractic therapy has earned a reputation for injury prevention and improved recovery. To make the most of it and tap its full potential, it’s best to undergo the said holistic approach in coordination with a medical doctor.

Minimize pickleball injuries and improve recovery with Posture Perfect Chiropractic

Injuries are inevitable in physically demanding sport like pickleball. However, you can reduce the likelihood of developing them and improve recovery with regular chiropractic therapy sessions.

If you have a nagging pickleball injury or you feel that there are movement limitations that keep you from performing at a high level on court, book an appointment at Posture Perfect Chiropractic. Our highly trained and experienced chiropractors can perform personalized treatment that can help address your injury, allow you to recover faster, and play at a high level.