Dr. Michael Nguyen, an emergency room physician and avid pickleball player in St. Petersburg, reports a significant rise in pickleball-related injuries, particularly among seniors aged 65 to 80. He treats about one injury per week, mostly sprains, fractures, and falls, often caused by slipping on wet courts or wearing improper footwear. A National Institutes of Health study corroborates this trend, showing a 22-fold increase in emergency visits linked to pickleball from 2013 to 2022, with fractures being the most common injury.
Despite the risks, Dr. Nguyen encourages people to enjoy pickleball while emphasizing the importance of safety precautions such as wearing proper shoes and avoiding wet playing surfaces. He notes that while older adults are more prone to injury due to decreased agility and fragility, injuries can also occur in younger, healthy athletes. Overall, the sport’s growing popularity calls for increased awareness and preventive measures to reduce injury rates and keep players safe.
