Common Pickleball Injuries We Treat

by Agape Health & Fitness | Mar 15, 2026 | Physical Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine

man wrapping sports tape around his wrist and it appears he is at a pickleball or tennic court.

Pickleball has become one of the most popular recreational sports in Henderson, and for good reason. It is accessible, social, competitive without being brutal, and a genuinely good workout. The courts at Acacia Park and across the valley are packed on most mornings.

But along with the growth in players has come a noticeable increase in pickleball-related injuries walking through our door. Some of them are acute. Many of them are overuse injuries that built up slowly and got ignored until they became hard to play through.

Here is a look at the injuries we see most often, why they happen, and what actually helps.

Why Pickleball Injuries Are Increasing

The sport attracts a lot of players who are returning to regular athletic activity after a gap of years or decades. The body is willing, but the tendons, rotator cuffs, and knees are not necessarily ready for the repetitive loading that comes with playing four or five times a week.

Pickleball also involves a lot of quick lateral movements, sudden stops, and overhead shots. That combination is demanding on joints that may already have some mileage on them. And because the game does not feel as intense as tennis or running, players tend to do more of it, more frequently, without the same attention to recovery.

The Most Common Pickleball Injuries We Treat

Rotator Cuff Irritation and Shoulder Pain

The overhead dink and the drive shot both put significant demand on the rotator cuff. When those muscles are not adequately conditioned, or when mechanics are slightly off, the tendons take the brunt of the load.

Rotator cuff irritation usually starts as mild soreness that players work through. Over time, it can develop into chronic tendinopathy or partial tears that require more significant intervention. Getting it evaluated early saves a lot of treatment time later.

Pickleball Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)

Often called tennis elbow, this is one of the most common complaints we see in pickleball players. The repetitive forearm motion involved in the backhand stroke loads the tendons on the outside of the elbow, and over time that loading exceeds the tissue’s ability to recover.

It tends to be a slow build. Players notice it after playing, then during playing, then all the time. By the time it is affecting grip strength and daily activities, it has usually been building for months. Active Release Technique and targeted rehabilitation tend to work well for this once the underlying mechanics are also addressed.

Knee Pain

The lateral cuts and quick direction changes in pickleball put real demand on the knee, particularly the medial collateral ligament and the patellofemoral joint. Players with previous knee injuries or some degree of arthritis often find that pickleball accelerates their symptoms.

Hip mechanics and foot mechanics both play a significant role in knee loading. A thorough evaluation of the knee that does not look at how the hip and ankle are contributing will often miss part of the picture.

Achilles Tendon Issues

The quick push-off movements in pickleball load the Achilles significantly. Achilles tendinopathy typically starts as stiffness and soreness in the morning that loosens up during activity, then returns afterward. That pattern is easy to dismiss early on, but it tends to worsen if the tendon loading is not reduced and the tissue is not given a chance to adapt.

In Henderson’s summer heat, dehydration adds to this risk by reducing the pliability of the connective tissue around the Achilles. Players who are not replacing fluids and electrolytes adequately during outdoor play are dealing with a less resilient tendon from the start.

Low Back Pain and Sciatica Flare-Ups

The bent-knee, forward-leaning ready position in pickleball places sustained demand on the lumbar extensors. Combined with rotational movements in the swing, this can aggravate existing low back conditions or trigger new ones.

For players who already deal with sciatica, the combination of prolonged spine loading and repetitive movement can cause significant flare-ups. These often do not respond well to rest alone. Understanding what is mechanically driving the sciatica, whether it is a disc issue, a piriformis problem, or something else, determines what kind of care will actually help.

Common Mistakes Pickleball Players Make

Playing through pain because it is not bad enough to stop yet
Skipping warm-up because there is not enough time before the court opens
Increasing playing frequency without increasing recovery time
Not replacing fluids and electrolytes during outdoor summer play in Nevada
Assuming pain will resolve on its own if they just rest for a week
Waiting months before getting an evaluation because it does not feel serious enough

What Actually Helps

Most pickleball injuries respond well to care when they are evaluated properly and treated early. Active Release Technique works particularly well for the tendon and soft tissue issues common in this sport. Chiropractic care addresses the spinal and joint mechanics that contribute to shoulder, back, and lower extremity problems. Targeted rehabilitation builds the strength and movement patterns that protect the tissue during play.

What does not help is waiting. Overuse injuries that get six months of play on top of them are significantly harder to address than the same injuries caught early.

If something has been bothering you and you keep hoping it will go away on its own, it probably will not. But it also does not have to sideline you for long if you get it looked at sooner rather than later.

Our team at Agape Health in Henderson works with a lot of pickleball players across the valley. We do thorough evaluations, not quick looks, and we build care plans around getting you back on the court as efficiently as possible. Call us at 702-410-5354 or come by 2790 W Horizon Ridge Pkwy, Suite 110.

Why This Matters

Most lab tests are graded one way: normal or abnormal. That works fine for catching disease, but it misses everything in between. Chronic conditions like diabetes and thyroid disease don't show up overnight. They build slowly, often over 7 to 10 years, and for most of that time your labs will still say "normal." Meanwhile you're tired, foggy, and not performing the way you used to.

This is the gap functional medicine tries to close. Instead of only asking "is this a disease or not," it asks "is this number where a healthy, thriving person's number would be?" Catching a small drift early is a lot easier to correct than waiting until it becomes a full diagnosis. That's why understanding your own lab values, not just the lab's normal range, matters for anyone in Henderson or Las Vegas who feels off despite a clean bill of health.

Prefer Reading?

2-minute summary

Dr. Krugly, a board-certified chiropractic sports physician with a diplomate in sports medicine, breaks down why "normal" lab results don't always mean your body is running well. Standard labs are built from a bell curve of the local population. If that population includes a lot of people who are pre-diabetic, overweight, or on multiple medications, "normal" gets pulled toward what's common, not what's actually healthy.

He walks through several markers where a tighter, more optimal range tends to predict how people actually feel:

Thyroid (TSH): Standard range is roughly 0.5 to 4.5. Most patients feel and function better between 1.8 and 3.0, and around 2.5 for fertility.
Ferritin (iron storage): He looks for a range of roughly 40 to 100, with timing of the draw mattering for female patients close to their cycle.
Vitamin D: Ideally 40 to 80. Since it's fat soluble, a low result can also point to a gallbladder or fat absorption issue.
Vitamin B12: He doesn't want to see patients drop below 600, since lower levels are linked to fatigue and neurological symptoms.
Inflammation markers: C-reactive protein at 1 or below, with homocysteine checked as a backup marker since it can damage the lining of blood vessels over time.

He also stresses that a lab value never stands alone. A TSH that's technically "in range" but paired with thinning eyebrows, dry skin, and a slow Achilles reflex still points to a thyroid problem worth addressing. Reading labs well means connecting the numbers to the patient in front of you, not just checking a box.

Key Takeaways

"Normal" on a lab report is based on the average person tested at that lab, not necessarily a healthy person.
Chronic disease develops slowly, which means there's a long window where labs still look fine but the body is already drifting.
Thyroid, iron, vitamin D, B12, blood sugar, and inflammation markers all have an "optimal" range that's often narrower than the standard lab range.
Symptoms and physical exam findings should be read alongside the numbers, not instead of them.
Autoimmune conditions rarely travel alone, so one diagnosis is a reason to screen for others.

Frequently Asked Questions

If my labs are "normal," why do I still feel terrible?

Because "normal" is a statistical range, not a guarantee of good health. Your result can sit inside that range and still be far from where your body performs best. This is exactly the gap functional medicine testing is built to find.

What's the difference between free and total thyroid hormone?

Total hormone measures everything in your bloodstream. Free hormone measures what's actually available for your cells to use. You can have a normal total number and still run low on free hormone, which is one reason a basic TSH test alone can miss thyroid problems.

Can an infection throw off my iron or ferritin results?

Yes. Ferritin rises during infection because it acts as part of the body's immune response, so a recent illness can artificially raise or lower both markers. That's why the full clinical picture, not just the number, matters when your results are reviewed.

How much does a full functional medicine lab panel cost?

Out of pocket through a typical lab, a comprehensive panel like the one described in the video can run around $1,300. Through Agape's negotiated lab pricing, patients typically pay closer to $150 for the same panel.

Related Services

Functional Medicine, Henderson NV: Comprehensive lab review and treatment planning that looks at optimal ranges, not just pass or fail results.
Nutrition Coaching: Support for correcting blood sugar, vitamin, and mineral imbalances found on lab work.
Telehealth Consultations: Functional medicine lab review and follow-up available virtually for patients who can't come in person.

Ready to See What Your Labs Are Really Telling You?

If you've been told everything looks fine but you don't feel fine, a closer look at your numbers may explain why. Agape Health & Fitness in Henderson, NV offers full functional medicine lab panels and one-on-one review with Dr. Krugly. Call 702-410-5354 or visit agapehealthlv.com to schedule a consultation.