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!