Physical Therapy Can Prepare for Pickleball and Prevent Injuries at the Same Time!
Do you think about trying Pickleball with your friends but are worried about getting hurt? Has pain or an injury kept you on the sidelines but now you want to do what you can to get active again safely?
Our physical therapists are movement experts at Agility Physical Therapy. We are skilled at assessing your physical abilities, providing clear guidance on resolving problems, and preparing your body to tolerate an active lifestyle!
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America, and the game is gaining more and more players daily. It is especially popular with older, retired folks looking to stay active and enjoy the social aspects associated with the game.
Too often, people jump right in, forgetting their bodies don’t move quite the same as they did just a few years ago. Our muscles undergo a progressive loss of muscle mass and strength as we get older. These muscle changes also impact our ability to react and change directions with the same speed and stability.
Unfortunately, these changes can lead to trips and falls while playing, resulting in injuries that prevent us from participating. At Agility Physical Therapy, our physical therapists have proven success working with people of all ages to recover from injury and resume whatever sport they enjoy. We will help you resolve any problem and prepare your body for the demands of pivoting, turning, and chasing down the ball.
Call today to request an appointment with one of our specialists!
How balance and coordination affect your risk of injury
Falling while playing Pickleball is a fairly common event. Typically, someone loses balance and trips while trying to get to a ball just outside their reach. For some, it is trying to backpedal to reach an overhead ball, while others try changing directions to get that backhand shot.
Two of the most common injuries associated with Pickleball are a fractured wrist and a torn rotator cuff muscle. Both injuries occur from falling on an outstretched arm/hand. As we get older, our bodies cannot react the same as when we are younger, and we cannot tolerate the impact either.
Fortunately, it is possible to improve our body’s ability to react and tolerate the demands of Pickleball. Our team will identify the factors that may contribute to coordination and balance impairments and give you the tools to improve your abilities.
Coordination is defined as the ability to execute smooth, accurate, controlled responses through optimal interaction of muscles. One of the most critical aspects of coordination is selecting the right muscle at the right time with the proper intensity to achieve the appropriate action.
Our Agility Physical Therapy team can work with you to train your muscles to contract with appropriate speed, distance, direction, and timing. When we get multiple muscles working coordinated, we can perform the desired activity.
As we age, we all suffer from a loss of muscle mass. This significantly affects function in all activities, contributing to a reduction in balance, reduced gait speed, and increased risk of falls. Fortunately, you can improve your dynamic stability through proper balance training drills.
At Agility Physical Therapy, our therapists will design exercises that strengthen your muscles and improve your coordination and neuromuscular control so you can safely participate in Pickleball and any other activity!
What to expect during your physical therapy visits
Our physical therapists help in a variety of ways. We will start with an injury evaluation and a movement assessment to identify all the factors contributing to any limitation affecting your function.
Our assessments will also include a thorough history to understand past injuries and your overall health status. We will use this information to develop a comprehensive program that provides targeted manual techniques, mobility work, strengthening, and any appropriate pain relief technique for the individual.
Next, we will conduct a detailed balance assessment. Our assessment will test the following systems:
- Somatosensory system (i.e., neural structures that detect touch, temperature, body position, and pain)
- The vestibular system (sensory system responsible for providing information about motion, head position, and spatial orientation)
- Musculoskeletal systems (i.e., strength, range of motion, joint health, etc.)
Your physical therapist will use this information to incorporate balance and coordination treatments to return to sport/activity safely. Our goal is to ensure you can safely participate in the activities you love!
Request an appointment at Agility Physical Therapy today!
At Agility Physical Therapy, our therapists have proven successful in helping athletes recover and prepare for the sports they love.
Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists so we can make sure you are playing Pickleball at your peak abilities!
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6913863/
- https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/Fulltext/2020/10000/Pickleball__Review_and_Clinical_Recommendations.8.aspx?context=LatestArticles
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0736467919307991
- https://www.physio-pedia.com/Coordination_Exercises?utm_source=physiopedia&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=ongoing_internal
- https://www.choosept.com/guide/physical-therapy-guide-balance-problems