A Bit of Background
Pickleball-what a sport! In under ten years, it has gone from the sport we play one time in a middle school phys-ed class to filling primetime spots on ESPN, eating up our weeknights (and maybe a little bit our wallets for that matter), and serving as one of the prime social connectors in society today.
The Truth About Pain with Pickleball
The growth of the sport has been phenomenal. People are exercising with such increased volume, meeting new friends and having a blast while doing it. It is no secret however that it has also come with negative effects- mainly being injuries or aches/pains. Orthopedic surgeons will joke with you that pickleball is the best thing that ever happened to their business. Jokes aside, this stress on our bodies is probably worth it- that’s why we keep playing, despite our new or worsened ailments! There is a reality however to the demands pickleball places on our musculoskeletal system- like it or not. Fortunately, it is very manageable with the right tools and knowledge. The more you understand about why you’re having shoulder pain while playing pickleball, the better off you will be in addressing it while being able to continue playing.
Most Common Symptoms of Shoulder Pain from Pickleball
- Pain when you reach overhead for the ball
- Pain that is not present while you play, but then keeps you up later that night
- This can be particularly frustrating, because you don’t have warning signs while you are doing the activity
- Difficulty finding a comfortable position while lying in bed to sleep
- Popping and clicking while you move your shoulder during play
- Pain when you reach across your body for a ball
- Pain when you swing particularly hard at a ball
- Constant dull throbbing or aching
Why am I Having Shoulder Pain with Pickleball?
The short answer: You’re doing something aggressive and repetitive that your body is not quite prepared to do. You may even be doing more and more of it as the years or months pass.
What is Causing My Shoulder Pain?
There are four common causes of shoulder pain that are most often seen in pickleballers:
1. Shoulder impingement:
When you reach for a ball that is behind you, across your body, or up above you, you move your shoulder into a position of increased “impingement.” This means that the bones in your shoulder move closer together, impinging on all the tissues that lie in the space between them. This diagnosis is often responsible for quick pains with reaching that then dissipate
2. Tendonitis in the Shoulder:
When muscles are weak and overused, the tendons that attach them to your bones can start to become agitated. Shoulder impingement (described above) is also one of the contributing causes of shoulder tendonitis, as the tendons are more likely to become irritated when they are compressed in a small space.
3. Labral Tear of the Shoulder/Instability of the Shoulder:
The labrum is a little cup that sits around the edge of the shoulder socket to help keep the ball within it. If your shoulder is moving excessively within the joint, it can bump into the labrum, irritate it or tear it and cause painful clicking in the shoulder.
4. Pinched Nerve in the Neck:
Although you may feel the pain down around your shoulder, it is extremely common that this pain may be radiating down from an irritated nerve in your neck… Even if you don’t have neck pain! People often spend months or years trying to treat their shoulder without success because the source of the pain truly lies in a different body region.
How to Fix My Shoulder Pain?
The good news is, shoulder pain is extremely treatable! We’re talking no pain at all. Is it complex-yes, but nevertheless extremely treatable. Shoulders by nature are limber and mobile. With this motion however comes increased risk for irritation. Therefore, specific strengthening is KEY in stabilizing the joint and reducing pain. Rotator cuff exercises can be an excellent starting point for improving your pain. Joint mobilization, range of motion exercises, and other manual therapy techniques can also work wonders. Our goal with all patients is to have them pain free and stay that way. The future is bright!
If you’ve been having shoulder pain with pickleball or any other activities, give us a call! It may just be the best thing you ever did for yourself.
Read about patient experiences from people with pain like yourself here.
Learn more about how common shoulder injuries are among pain-free athletes by viewing this video.
We hope you found this article helpful and wish you the best.