Pickleball Injuries Older Players Should Know About

Pickleball is gentler on the body than tennis, but it is not no-impact. A 2023 study published by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons estimated more than 67,000 pickleball-related emergency department visits in a single year, and the share of those patients aged 60 and older has climbed every year since 2019. The three injuries that send senior players to urgent care most often are Achilles tendon strains and ruptures, lateral wrist tendinitis sometimes called pickleball wrist, and fall-related fractures and head impacts. Knee meniscus tears, calf strains, shoulder rotator cuff strains, and pickle elbow round out the list.

The Achilles is especially vulnerable in the 60 to 80 age group. Tendon tissue stiffens with age, and the explosive forward lunge that catches a drop shot at the kitchen line is exactly the motion that snaps an unprepared Achilles. The good news is that a structured five-minute warmup, court-appropriate footwear, and a steady calf-strengthening routine drop the risk dramatically. Lateral wrist tendinitis, which feels like a sharp ache on the thumb side of the wrist, comes from gripping the paddle too tightly and from flicking the wrist on every shot. The cure is a looser grip, a larger handle, and shorter sessions during the first weeks of play. Falls, the most serious category, are almost always preventable by removing trip hazards from the court, watching for stray balls, and choosing court shoes with fresh tread.

A helpful guide for older players is the Pickleball Health website hosted by the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, along with the AARP Pickleball Safety Center. Local sports physical therapists who advertise pickleball assessments can also screen for movement patterns that raise injury risk. Sources include the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons at orthoinfo.org, AARP at aarp.org, and the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine pickleball resources at mayoclinic.org.