The Pickleball PT

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The Pickleball PT I’m Dr. Frank Allen - The Pickleball PT! I help pickleballers in Sarasota play better & hurt less. I fell in love with pickleball in 2020.

I have been a practicing doctor of physical therapy and sport-performance specialist since 2013. As The Pickleball PT - I help pickleball players achieve their maximum potential through addressing limitations in strength, mobility, flexibility, balance, coordination, endurance and awareness. I provide injury-risk assessments completely free in an effort to allow pickleball players the option to di

scover if they may be at risk for injury. Please get in touch with me if you’d like to play better and hurt less!

19/11/2023

Just sharing my pickleball active warm-up again since I’m seeing a lot of patients for injuries that could have been prevented with a warm-up routine like this one. Happy Holidays to you all! 🏓

Pickleball injuries are rising just as quickly as the popularity of the sport is! If you're a pickleball player in Saras...
07/08/2023

Pickleball injuries are rising just as quickly as the popularity of the sport is! If you're a pickleball player in Sarasota, FL or the surrounding areas and would be willing to share this post with your pickleball friends I would so greatly appreciate it!

A visit to his in-laws' home in Ohio and an up-close look at pickleball being played convinced Dr. Frank Allen to switch up his career focus

19/04/2023

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 & 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝟷: 🔥𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘮-𝘜𝘱🔥⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝟺: 𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬 𝘙𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣One of the top reasons I see players for injuries of the shoulders, abdominal tissues or lower back is due to shots requiring an extended reach combined with rotation of their spine. This overhead trunk rotation movement directly prepares the body to perform those movements with greater speed and reduced injury risk. Performing 15-20 reps of this movement improves mobility of the joints through the neck, thoracic spine, lower back, hips and shoulders and it feels REALLY good to do even if you’re not about to play.⁣
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I recommend to start off slowly and build up your speed and rotation. The idea is to warm up the joints and tissues responsible for this type of movement in efforts to reduce injury risk and improve performance when you have to move similarly during play or drilling.⁣
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Feel free to share, comment with questions or PM me if you’d rather interact in a more private setting. I’m always happy to help a pickleball player to play better and hurt less!⁣

17/04/2023

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 & 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝟷: 🔥𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘮-𝘜𝘱🔥⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝟹: 𝘜𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬 𝘙𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Performing 15-20 reps of this movement improves mobility of the joints through the neck, thoracic spine, lower back, hips and shoulders in a way that translates directly into improved mobility and reduced risk of injury on the courts.⁣

I recommend to start off slowly and build up in terms of speed and distance you are rotating. The idea is to warm up the joints and tissues responsible for this movement in efforts to reduce injury risk and improve performance.⁣

Feel free to share, comment with questions or PM me if you'd rather interact in a more private setting. I'm always happy to help a pickleball player to play better and hurt less! Keep an eye out for future installments of this content series where I'll go over other active warm-up ideas for you to try out.

13/04/2023

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 & 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬⁣⁣⁣: By Dr. Frank Allen - The Pickleball PT

𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝟷: 🔥𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘮-𝘜𝘱🔥⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 2: 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘐𝘴 𝘐𝘵 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵?⁣⁣⁣ 🤔⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Taking 5-10 minutes before you play for a proper active warm-up will reduce your risk for pickleball-related injuries & improve your performance on the court.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞?⁣⁣ 🤔⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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1. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩: Increasing your body temp helps make sure you're ready to go right from 0-0-2. A rise in body temperature enhances explosive muscle performance by improving metabolic & contractile function, nerve conduction & muscle activation.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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2. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐱𝐲𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Your tissues run on blood & nutrients (oxygen included) that it brings to them. Increasing blood flow & oxygenation before play ensures your body will perform at its best & fatigue slower.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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3. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞/𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: When joints & soft-tissue are moving better - your body moves much easier & you expend less energy to move. You'll be able to reach shots & react to shots better.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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4. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬: This enhances your coordination & reaction time so you can win those firefights.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤?⁣⁣⁣ 🤔⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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1. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞/𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: When your tissues & joints are moving better they are less likely to suffer strains/pulls, sprains, tears, etc.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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2. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤: This is your body's ability to recognize how it is moving in space. When these proprioceptive mechanisms are stimulated, your movements are much more in line with what you 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 to do & accidents like tripping will be greatly reduced.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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3. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩 & 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰: Risks associated with cold/tight tissue, insufficient oxygen delivery or lack of endurance is reduced by improving this prior to playing.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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⁣⁣Please share with friends & follow my page to see future posts in this content series. Up next are a variety of examples of upper/lower body pickleball active warm-up movements. 🙌

11/04/2023

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 & 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬⁣

𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝟷: 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘮-𝘜𝘱 ⁣
𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝟷: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐𝘴 𝘐𝘵?⁣

As a doctor of physical therapy who specializes my practice in helping pickleball players avoid injury and perform better -- the TOP piece of advice I can recommend to any player, regardless of skill level, is to take the 5-10 minutes before any training or competition to complete a comprehensive active warm-up.⁣

What is a pickleball active warm-up?

It's performing movements (without a ball in play) that you perform while playing pickleball but at a much lower intensity compared to game speed and at a very high repetition count (20-30 repetitions for each movement). This literally warms the body up for the stresses you are about to place on it and, in doing so, makes your body much more capable of performing these movements without higher risks of injury or limitations associated with stiffness, weakness or lack of control.⁣ If you think it's a silly thing to waste time on then you've never suffered a severe injury that prevented you from playing for weeks to months that could have been prevented by taking the time to warm-up properly.

Please feel free to share with your pickleball friends and stay tuned for follow-up posts in my new content series "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 & 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬". I have a ton of content I'll be sharing specific to everything I've used over the last few years to help my clients feel their best and perform at their highest potential from a physical and functional standpoint.

Cheers!

30/03/2023

There’s a lot of helpful information that I share personally with my clients in Sarasota that I know would help any pickleball player. I’ve reconsidered the best way to organize/present this information and I intend to begin recreating and sharing it with all of you soon. This game is much more fun when you’re playing better and hurting less!

Working full time while being the father to an 11 month old baby girl and husband to a wife who deserves the world can k...
02/09/2022

Working full time while being the father to an 11 month old baby girl and husband to a wife who deserves the world can keep my schedule tight. Fitting in pickleball when I can is hard enough! Taking time to create and share pickleball injury prevention content like I do has become increasingly more challenging but it’s messages like this that motivate me to keep going. THIS is why I created my page. ❤️

25/07/2022

"𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐛𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐧?"⁣⁣ 🤔
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This is a question I get from time to time so I thought I should address it with this video. Massage guns are great tools to use pre/post play and particularly on tournament days when you’re playing multiple times within a single day. Knowing how to use them properly can help you out a lot!
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The keys to properly using a massage gun include:⁣⁣
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🔑 Staying away from direct contact with bony prominences.⁣ They are meant for areas of the body with more tissue to mobilize.⁣

🔑 Moving the gun slowly and, sometimes, not moving the gun at all for periods of 30-45 seconds in order to accomplish full release of tight tissue.⁣⁣

🔑 Using the gun regularly to manage tissue tightness more effectively.⁣⁣
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Massage gun sessions should last between 5 (single muscle group) and 20 (multiple muscle groups) minutes and should not be something that is rushed. You are using these tools for a purpose and achieving that purpose takes some time and commitment. ⁣⁣
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Refer to my video for specific instructions of how to properly use your massage gun to improve performance and reduce risk of injury related to pickleball.⁣⁣
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As usual, if you have any questions about anything injury-related specific to pickleball please don't hesitate to reach out! I'm always open to helping pickleballers play better and hurt less. Cheers!

Friendly reminder. ❤️
11/07/2022

Friendly reminder. ❤️

30/06/2022

𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓-𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄⁣⁣
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Making sure to stretch after playing is a tried and true way to limit the soreness and stiffness that often plagues us hours after we play and well into the next day.⁣⁣
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My last post was about when to perform static stretches and when to actively warm-up. Static stretching, as I am demonstrating in this video, is best on a consistent basis throughout the week but NOT immediately before playing. Immediately after playing, however, is a great time to perform a static stretching routine like this. All you need is a doorway and about 10 minutes to knock it out!⁣⁣
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I recommend 45 seconds for each stretch and performing them on the left and right sides. For the purpose of the video - I perform very abbreviated versions of each and on one side only. Here's the breakdown of the routine:⁣⁣
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𝟏. 𝐆𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐜 & 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬⁣⁣
𝟐. 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡⁣⁣
𝟑. 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡⁣⁣
𝟒. 𝐇𝐢𝐩 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡⁣⁣
𝟓. 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐬 & 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡⁣⁣
𝟔. 𝐏𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡⁣⁣
𝟕. 𝐍𝐞𝐜𝐤, 𝐁𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐬 & 𝗪𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡⁣⁣
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These stretches may not be doable for some with mobility limitations in the shoulders, hips and knees but there are a variety of other options to achieve similar results. This is simply a guideline but the principle of taking the time to stretch after playing is the main take home point. I assure you that spending 10 minutes after playing and performing a stretching routine such as this will have you playing better and hurting less in no time! 💪

A question I get a lot is:⠀“𝙄𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧?”⠀Here’s my 3-Part answer:⠀1️⃣ Stretching is...
20/06/2022

A question I get a lot is:

“𝙄𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧?”

Here’s my 3-Part answer:

1️⃣ Stretching is something that needs to be practiced consistently to achieve the benefits of mobile tissues and joints throughout the body. Daily is ideal but most don’t have the time and/or the desire to stretch every day. Stretching the major muscle groups in the body at least 3x/week (3x30” repetitions for each stretch) is necessary to improve muscle and joint function from a mobility standpoint.

2️⃣ Active warm-ups are best, much better than static stretching, 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 before you play or practice. The goal of an active warm-up is to elevate body temperature, get blood flowing to the target areas and prepare your body for what is to come. This helps you perform better and greatly reduces injury risk that’s inherent with a game like pickleball. Even doing jumping jacks for 3-5 minutes before playing would benefit you more than stretching for 15 minutes.

3️⃣ Post-play static stretching, however, is extremely beneficial and highly recommended. Our muscles and joints have a tendency to stiffen up after aggressive activity and taking 5 minutes to stretch after playing will help mitigate that stiffness and the discomfort that comes with it.

Please feel free to tag friends you play with who could benefit from this information and share this post with others as well. The more pickleballers I can help to play better and hurt less, the better!⁣

ten▪️di▪️ni▪️tis (𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯): inflammation of a tendon, most commonly from overuse.⠀𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀? 🤔⠀▪️...
15/06/2022

ten▪️di▪️ni▪️tis (𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯): inflammation of a tendon, most commonly from overuse.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀? 🤔

▪️ Pain - particularly with use/activation
▪️ Tenderness
▪️ Mild to Moderate Swelling
▪️ Weakness with use (i.e. gripping, jumping)

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀? 🤔

Tendinitis can be onset by a sudden injury or traumatic event. However, in the vast majority of cases, it develops due to repetitive stress under compromised conditions which cause micro-tearing in the tissues that eventually carry over into an inflammatory response due to lack of time to properly heal. Performing the same movements (as is the case with drilling) over and over without quality mechanics is definitely a way to develop tendinitis related to pickleball.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀? 🤔

▪️Warm-Up Properly
▪️Perform Regular Exercises to Maintain Proper Strength Throughout Your Body
▪️Stretch Regularly to Maintain Proper Joint/Tissue Mobility (particularly post-play)
▪️Stay Hydrated
▪️Practice Avoiding Inflammatory Foods When Possible
▪️Wear Proper Court Shoes that Work for YOU
▪️Listen to Your Body!

Stay tuned for more content focused on the warm-ups, exercises and stretches that you can incorporate into your pickleball routine to avoid conditions like tendinitis.

Please feel free to tag friends you play with who could benefit from this information and share this post with others as well. The more pickleballers I can help to play better and hurt less, the better!⁣

02/06/2022

Are you suffering from or trying to avoid knee pain that limits your abilities on the court? In this video I demonstrate some simple but effective stretches to help prevent or reduce knee pain associated with pickleball play. The content in the video includes:⁣⁣
⁣⁣
- How to Stretch Your Quadriceps⁣⁣
- How to Stretch Your Hamstrings⁣⁣
- How to Stretch Your Calves⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Conditions of the knee such as tendinitis, strains, sprains and even arthritis or meniscus tears can be greatly reduced by maintaining proper flexibility in the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. These versions of how to stretch those muscles may not be achievable for everyone but, for those who can do them, making time to stretch these muscles 4-5x/week will be of great benefit. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Immediately before playing, however, an active warm-up is the best way to prepare your body for playing and reduce injury risk during play. Stay tuned for a video demonstration of a very nice and simple active warm-up for the legs that I use before playing.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Please share this post with anyone who you think could benefit from it or tag them in the comments so they can see it. The more pickleball players I can help to stay on the courts and pain-free, the better!

Knee pain/stiffness and pickleball seem to come hand in hand for many of us. Why is that? There are some factors about t...
26/05/2022

Knee pain/stiffness and pickleball seem to come hand in hand for many of us. Why is that? There are some factors about the game which increase stress on the knees that are out of our control. There are others, however, that we can manage ourselves and greatly reduce the stresses placed on our knees during play.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥⁣⁣
▪️Hard Court Surface⁣⁣
▪️Frequent Rapid Stopping⁣⁣
▪️Frequent Rapid Directional Changes⁣⁣
▪️Frequent Lunging and Squatting⁣⁣
⁣⁣
These elements are part of the game and will always place stress on the knee joints. If you can optimize the elements noted below that are within your control, however, you can greatly reduce the impact of the game on your knees.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝗪𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥⁣⁣
▪️ Core, Hip, Knee & Ankle Strength⁣⁣
▪️ Hip, Knee, Ankle & Big Toe Mobility⁣⁣
▪️ Dynamic Balance & Proprioception⁣⁣
▪️ Footwear & Insole Selection⁣

The more strength you can build throughout your core and legs, the less you will feel the ground reaction force traveling from your feet through your knees while you play. The more mobility you can build from your hips all the way through your big toe, the more fluid your movement mechanics will become and this reduces any compensations that can increase stresses on the knee joints. The better you can make your dynamic balance and proprioception (how well you can control your body and move with purpose at game-speed) the more stable your mechanics will be. Lastly, investing in a quality pair of court shoes and insoles that afford decent heel cushion and arch support will help with the stresses that the hard court surfaces place on us.⁣

Zelus Insoles are what I continue to wear to play in, work in and perform all of my daily activities in and I am thoroughly pleased with their product.⁣

Now, how can you improve all of those areas of strength, mobility and control mentioned above? Stay tuned for content focused on these specific areas.⁣

Please feel free to tag friends you play with who could benefit from this information and share this post with others as well. The more pickleballers I can help to play better and hurt less, the better!⁣

Pickleballers! If you’re in Sarasota, FL or the surrounding areas and you’d be interested in a completely free full-body...
19/05/2022

Pickleballers! If you’re in Sarasota, FL or the surrounding areas and you’d be interested in a completely free full-body assessment to help you figure out how you can perform better on the courts and reduce your injury risk then please reach out! I am the owner and therapist at Your Place Physical Therapy and I offer these free assessments to anyone and everyone.

As you all know, pickleball is a very physically demanding sport and the risk for injury is always present. Getting a comprehensive assessment of strength, mobility, mechanics, balance and other functional attributes is a great way to help you determine what needs to be addressed in order to minimize this risk of injury while optimizing your abilities at the same time. It’s completely free so there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Schedule yours today by calling/texting me at (904) 537-0301 or emailing me at frankallen@yourplacept.com — I’d be happy to help you play better and hurt less!

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FL

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Monday 06:00 - 21:00
Tuesday 06:00 - 21:00
Wednesday 06:00 - 21:00
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Friday 06:00 - 21:00
Saturday 08:00 - 18:00
Sunday 08:00 - 17:00

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