How many headlines have you read this year about how "pickleball is a health risk" and "pickleball injuries are on the rise?"
To us, it feels like we've seen more of those than bad thirds at rec night. But a new study has us wondering if they have a point.
Public health researchers at University of Arkansas sought to identify the most prominent risks for pickleball injury.
The study examined 17,416 emergency room visits related to pickleball activity, paying close attention to how injuries occurred and effective countermeasures.
The most common injury diagnosis was fractures at 30%, followed by sprains at 17% and internal organ injury at 7.2%...Most of the hospital admissions were for cardiac arrest, with the other 25% admitted for fractures. - University of Arkansas News
Different Injuries for Different Age Groups
Importantly, the study found that different age groups see different types of injuries (and for different reasons).
Those under 26 years of age were more likely to experience injuries as a result of the misuse of equipment, where those from 26 to 50 typically just played too much and sustained overuse-related injuries.
The majority of injuries observed in the research happened to players over 50, who exhibited a greater chance of cardiac arrest or other cardiovascular concerns.
For our story on paddles and their relationship to player safety, click here.
