Pickleball Injuries After 50: What the Data Shows and How to Stay on Court

Pickleball has taken over courts from Port St. Lucie to Palm Beach Gardens, and its injuries have grown with it. National emergency-room data shows a sharp rise since 2020, and most of those injuries are in players over 60. Here is what the research shows, and when a sore knee or shoulder after a game is worth getting checked.

What the research shows

Two recent studies of the US National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), which tracks emergency-room visits, give the clearest picture:

• Injuries nearly doubled. Estimated pickleball injuries seen in US emergency departments rose 91% from 2020 to 2022, from 8,894 to 16,997 a year. Pickleball-related hospital admissions rose 257%. (Cheng et al., Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation, 2025)
• Most are in players 60 to 79. That age group accounted for 73% of injuries, and players 65 and older were about 2.5 times more likely to be admitted to hospital. (Cheng et al.)
• Falls cause most of them. Over 2013–2022, falls were the most common way players got hurt (65.5% of injuries), and fractures were the most common diagnosis. The average injured player was 64. (Yu et al., Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 2025)

Those studies count emergency-room visits only. Many pickleball injuries, such as a strained calf, a sore shoulder or a knee that swells after play, never reach an ER and are seen in an orthopedic or sports medicine office instead.

Why the game is hard on joints

Pickleball looks gentle, but it asks for quick side-to-side moves, sudden stops, lunges at the kitchen line and overhead shots. Those movements load the knees, Achilles and shoulders, and a backward step for a lob is an easy way to fall.

Injuries an orthopedic doctor sees from court sports

• Knee: meniscus tears, ligament sprains and flare-ups of arthritis
• Shoulder: rotator cuff strains and tears from overhead shots
• Tendons: Achilles and elbow tendon problems from repetitive strain
• Fractures: most often from falls
• Muscle strains: calf and hamstring, often early in a session

How to stay on court

• Warm up before you play, not just a few practice dinks.
• Wear court shoes with lateral support, not running shoes.
• Turn and move back rather than backpedaling for a lob, since falls cause most injuries.
• Build up playing time gradually, especially after time off or when you first arrive for the season.

When to get it checked

See an orthopedic doctor if:

• a knee locks, catches, gives way or swells
• you can’t raise your arm, or shoulder pain wakes you at night
• pain or swelling hasn’t settled after a short period of rest
• you heard a pop in your calf or heel
• you fell and suspect a fracture (go to the ER if it is severe)

Where to be seen

Dr. Marc F. Matarazzo is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and former NY Jets and NY Islanders team physician. He treats court-sport injuries at ELITE Sports Medicine’s offices in Port St. Lucie and Palm Beach Gardens, and the first step is an exam rather than an automatic MRI. Treatment ranges from rehabilitation and shockwave therapy for tendon pain to meniscus repair and shoulder surgery when needed. Read more about sports medicine, call 561-202-8886 or request an appointment.