We are well into summer and no doubt you are dealing with client injuries from a range of sports. A good number of them may be from America’s fastest growing sport – Pickleball! The sport has grown 223.5% over the past three years, with over 36.5 million players.[1]
There is a price for popularity. Pickleball injuries cost Americans nearly $400 million last year. Seniors, those 60 and older, have been hardest hit. To understand the scope of the problem, here are some startling figures from UBS analysts. They predicted that pickleball will lead to:[2]
- 67,000 emergency department trips
- 366,000 outpatient visits
- 8,800 outpatient surgeries
- 4,700 hospitalizations
- 20,000 post-acute episodes
Common Pickleball injuries
Among the most common injuries from Pickleball are:[3]
- Sprains and strains, which account for one-third of Pickleball injuries
- Low back pain due to a lack of core strength
- Fractures, with the wrist the area most vulnerable
- Upper body injuries – shoulder and wrist
- Bruises and scrapes
Massage aids many sports injuries
If it is not Pickleball, there are a range of other summer sports that can cause injuries, including golf, tennis, paddleboarding and kayaking, hiking, biking, and the list goes one. Hopefully not all injuries will require medical attention, but whether they do or not, time spent in your skillful care may be just “what the doctor” ordered to help get clients back on their feet and doing what they love to do.
Help your clients understand how massage – whether sports massage or deep tissue - can help alleviate muscle tension, increase circulation, improve flexibility, and promote healing whether they are competitive athletes or just out for the health benefits and fun of the sport. Common sports injuries include:[4]
Shoulder strain: Repetitive movement in sports such as Pickleball, tennis, golf and swimming can lead to ligament and muscle strain. Massage therapy increases blood circulation, relaxes muscle tension, increases flexibility, and restores range of motion to stiff and painful muscles. It can relieve shoulder pain and aid in healing and rehabilitating the shoulder and surrounding muscles.
Sprained ankle: A sprained ankle is common in games that require quick and sudden change, such as tennis, rollerblading, basketball, or soccer, resulting in torn or stretched ligaments. It can occur when there is a sudden twist or roll to the ankle or when planting the foot awkwardly. Sports massage can reduce pain in the ankle and speed recovery by increasing blood flow and oxygen to muscles. [5]
Tennis elbow: Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is relatively common. It results in pain at the outer – or lateral- part of the elbow. It is caused by stress from repetitive motions. A combination of deep massage of the forearm muscles (to enhance circulation) and friction therapy of the tendon (to diminish adhesive scar tissue) is often an effective treatment for tennis elbow. [6]
Tendonitis: Inflammation of the tendons causes pain and tenderness outside a joint. It is most common around tendons in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and heels. Sports massage can help the relieve pain in the affected tendon. Deep tissue massage also can be helpful, especially when tendonitis affects the knees. In addition to relieving pain, it can help break up scar tissue, improve blood circulation in the area and reduce swelling.[7]
Counsel clients to avoid injuries
Accidents will happen but you can help clients try to avoid them by counseling them on the need to:
- Stretch before and after exercise
- Wear the proper shoes
- Avoid overwork and/or overtraining
- Stay hydrated
- Train properly
When it comes to summer sports, clients may not be going for the gold, but your advice and professional expertise are golden.
[1] Hackman, Richard, “Pickleball Statistics: How Pickleball Became the Fastest 2024,” Pickleball Sporting.com, June 5, 2024. https://pickleballsporting.com/pickleball-statistics/
[2] Bohannon, Molly, “Pickleball Injuries Cost Americans Nearly $400 Million this Year – and Seniors are Hit the Hardest, Forbes, June 26, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/06/26/pickleball-injuries-cost-americans-nearly-400-million-this-year---and-seniors-are-hit-hardest/
[3] Migala, Jessica, “5 Common Pickleball Injuries and How to Avoid Them,” Everyday Health, September 29, 2023. https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/common-pickleball-injuries-and-how-to-avoid-them/
[4] “The Most Common Sports Injuries and How Massage Helps,” Discover Massage Australia, July 18, 2021. https://www.discovermassage.com.au/blog/the-most-common-sports-injuries-how-massage-therapy-helps/
[5] Ibid
[6] Benjamin, Ben E, “Tennis Elbow,” Massage Therapy.com, Accessed June 20, 2024. https://www.massagetherapy.com/articles/tennis-elbow
[7] Grand, Alex, “Massage for Tendonitis: How to Use Massage Therapy for Tendonitis,” Roots of Being, February 1, 2023. https://www.rootsofbeing.com/massage-for-tendonitis/