Pickleball injuries and how to prevent them [Video]

SALT LAKE CITY — My Dad played pickleball until he was 90 years old. He was a stud. And there are several seriously competitive pickleball players in the KSL newsroom. I won’t name names (Matt Johnson).

“Pickleball is exploding in the U.S. with the number of players increasing from 4.8 million in 2021 to 8.9 million in 2023,” Dr. Dallin DeMordaunt told us this morning. He’s a pain management and sports medicine physician with Common Spirit Health.

Related: Apple study shows Utah really loves pickleball

“People love it because it’s low impact, social, provides good exercise, and all ages can participate.”

Pickleball is particularly popular (say that 3 times fast) with people my age – 55 and older.

And perhaps not surprisingly? “We’re seeing a rapid increase in injuries, especially in that age range,” Dr. DeMordaunt said.

What kind of injuries?

The most common injuries in pickleball players are what the doctor calls …