EGG HARBOR TWP., N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Pickleball is growing in popularity, with new courts popping up all over the region. With that comes a rise in elbow and shoulder injuries -- especially among seniors. A doctor from Rothman Orthopaedics describes how to get maximum enjoyment with minimum pain.
Too much time spent doing any one thing can lead to overuse injuries in people of all ages.
“Whenever you have someone playing an overhead racket sport, one of the most common things you see are overuse injuries of the shoulder and elbow," said Dr. Fotios Tjoumakaris with Rothman Orthopedics at AtlantiCare.
Rotator cuff injuries and tennis elbow are becoming more common among pickleball enthusiasts.
Tjoumarakis says, it is even worse for seniors as their muscles and joints aren’t what they used to be.
“The rotator cuff is more susceptible to wear and tear as we get older. And then we also don’t repair our tissues as well when we get older. So with patients who are over 55 or 60 years old, we’ll see it more commonly in that population.”
He says because pickleball is a little less physically demanding than tennis, people tend to play longer.
Tjoumakaris says it’s important to limit your time on the court, listen to your body and take the day off if you’re sore. Keep games to an hour or two, and maintain regular exercise with a focus on rotator cuff exercises before and after playing.
“Going up to the side of the wall, taking your forearm and elbow and placing it up against the wall and actually pushing it into the wall and holding that contraction for five to 10 seconds. And then band exercises. We do a lot of Theraband exercises where we rotate our arm away from our body.”
And rowing exercises will also help, he says, to keep the rotator cuff strong and engaged.
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