Pickleball Magazine 3-3 Courtesy of Pickleball Tournaments | Page 76

HEALTH & WELLNESS
Lower Extremity Injuries:
Things to Consider to Stay
Healthy!
BY NOE SARIBAN, PT, DPT
S
port-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 to19, and more than two million
adults will receive treatment for injuries related sports
participation each year. Pickleball is no exception. Injuries
occur, keeping players away from this addicting game we
can’t get enough of.
Lower extremity injuries are extremely common in
pickleball, as the sport requires various movements in
multiple directions including running, sidestepping, cutting,
jumping (and therefore landing), and back pedaling. 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. Therefore, it’s important for pickleball players to
acknowledge the demands of this growing sport, and realize
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!
Three keys to preventing lower extremity
injuries:
1. Multiplanar Training: There are three planes of motion—
sagittal, frontal and transverse. Most people cross-train
in the sagittal plane, but most injuries occur in the
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transverse plane. It’s essential to cross-train in all three
planes to best prepare for pickleball play. More details
below.
2. Dynamic warm-up and cool down routines: Everyone
knows how important it is to properly warm-up, yet no one
seems to do it. Pickleball is so addicting that players drop
everything to go play—and sometimes at the expense of
their health. In addition, a cool down routine is also vital in
helping the body recover and prepare for your next session.
3. Consult a Physical Therapist if you have pain: Many
players play through pain, and this is not productive and
will be detrimental to your game in the long run. Finding
a qualified Sports Physical Therapist can make a huge
difference in decreasing your pain and making your
movement more efficient on the court!
Multiplanar Training
There are three planes
of motion and pickleball
movements occur in each of
them simultaneously.
The frontal plane bisects
the body into front and back
halves. Movements in this
plane include sidestepping
and bending sideways, as
when someone hits a dink
wide to you.
The transverse plane
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