Singapore’s love affair with pickleball shows no sign of slowing down. Pickleball bookings at ActiveSG halls jumped from fewer than 20 per month to nearly 8,000 per month in just the first half of 2025. New courts are opening across the island — Kallang, Jurong, Little India — and a major OCBC-sponsored tournament at the National Stadium attracted 2,000 competitors in 2026.
But there’s a less talked-about side to this boom. Clinics across Singapore are reporting twice as many pickleball-related cases compared to the year before. The stop-start nature of the game, combined with lateral movements and overhead swings, puts significant stress on joints and tendons — especially for players who go straight from a desk job to the court without adequate preparation.
As chiropractors who work with many active Singaporeans, we’re seeing more pickleball injuries walk through our door than ever before. Here’s what you need to know — and what you can do about it.
Why Pickleball Causes So Many Injuries
Pickleball looks deceptively gentle. The court is smaller than a tennis court, the ball moves slower, and it’s often played by people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who want a social sport that’s easier on the body than tennis or badminton.
The reality is more complicated. The game demands rapid direction changes, explosive lunges to reach the kitchen line, repeated overhead and lateral paddle motions, and long rallies that tax muscles and joints continuously. For players who live a largely sedentary lifestyle — which describes many working Singaporeans — those demands can quickly exceed what the body is conditioned to handle.
Three patterns make pickleball especially injury-prone in Singapore:
- Sedentary to active overnight. Playing three times a week after months of desk work without any conditioning is a common recipe for overuse injuries.
- Age-related tissue changes. Tendons and cartilage become less resilient after 40. The same movement that was fine at 30 can cause a strain at 50.
- No warm-up or cool-down. Many recreational players arrive, play, and leave — skipping the prep work that protects joints.
The 6 Most Common Pickleball Injuries We See
1. Pickleball Elbow (Lateral Epicondylalgia)
The pickleball equivalent of tennis elbow. Repeated paddle strokes — particularly backhand shots and dinks — create cumulative stress on the tendons that attach to the outside of the elbow. You’ll feel pain and tenderness on the outer elbow, which worsens when gripping or lifting.
Chiropractic care for pickleball elbow typically involves joint mobilisation of the elbow and wrist, soft tissue work on the forearm muscles, and assessment of shoulder and neck mechanics — because the entire arm works as a chain, and tension upstream often contributes to elbow pain.
2. Lower Back Pain
The bent-knee, forward-leaning stance of pickleball loads the lumbar spine continuously. Add in rotational swings and explosive pushes off the ground, and it’s easy to see why lower back pain is one of the most common complaints we see in pickleball players.
Players who already have tight hip flexors from sitting all day are particularly vulnerable — the hip can’t extend properly, so the lumbar spine compensates and takes on load it shouldn’t.
3. Knee Pain and Strains
Quick lateral cuts and deep lunges stress the knee joint significantly. The most common issues include patellar tendinopathy (pain below the kneecap from repetitive bending), medial collateral ligament (MCL) strains from side-to-side movement, and meniscal irritation in older players whose cartilage has thinned over time.
Chiropractic assessment looks at the whole lower limb — because knee pain often originates from poor hip mobility or ankle instability, not the knee itself.
4. Shoulder Pain and Rotator Cuff Issues
Overhead smashes and serving motions repeatedly stress the rotator cuff — the group of four muscles that stabilise the shoulder joint. Inflammation, impingement, or partial tears are common in players who play frequently without adequate shoulder strength or mobility.
Poor thoracic (mid-back) posture — very common in desk workers — significantly worsens shoulder mechanics. When the upper back is rounded, the shoulder blade can’t move correctly, and the rotator cuff tendons get pinched with every overhead motion.
5. Ankle Sprains
The rapid changes of direction in pickleball make ankle sprains the most acute injury on the court. Lateral ankle sprains — where the foot rolls outward — are by far the most common. They range from mild (a few days off court) to severe (ligament tears requiring weeks of rehabilitation).
A previous ankle sprain significantly raises the risk of another one. If you’ve rolled your ankle before, proprioceptive training (balance and stability exercises) is essential before returning to high-intensity play.
6. Wrist Pain
The wrist absorbs considerable force on every shot, especially mis-hits where the paddle strikes the ball off-centre. Repetitive strain of the wrist tendons (de Quervain’s tenosynovitis or extensor tendinopathy) can develop gradually, often starting as minor stiffness that worsens over several weeks of play.
How a Chiropractor Can Help
Chiropractic care is well-suited to pickleball injuries because most of them involve the musculoskeletal system — joints, tendons, and the muscles that support them. A chiropractor doesn’t just address the site of pain; we look at the whole kinetic chain to understand why the injury happened in the first place.
For a pickleball player, that often means:
- Spinal and joint mobilisation to restore range of motion and reduce pain
- Soft tissue work on overloaded muscles and tendons
- Posture and movement assessment to identify the upstream cause of the injury
- Rehabilitative exercises targeted at the specific weaknesses driving your injury
- Return-to-sport guidance so you get back on the court safely, not just quickly
Most acute pickleball injuries respond well to chiropractic care within a few sessions. Chronic overuse injuries — especially those that have been ignored for months — take longer but are very manageable with the right approach. Learn more about our chiropractic care approach at Family Health Chiropractic.
5 Ways to Prevent Pickleball Injuries
Most pickleball injuries are preventable. Here’s what we recommend to every patient who picks up the sport:
- Warm up properly. Five to ten minutes of dynamic movement — leg swings, arm circles, lateral shuffles — prepares your joints and muscles for the demands of the game. Static stretching before play is less effective and can actually reduce power.
- Build up gradually. If you’re new to pickleball or returning after a break, start with one to two sessions per week before moving to daily play. Overuse injuries almost always develop when volume increases too quickly.
- Strengthen supporting muscles. Hip strengthening, rotator cuff exercises, and core work all significantly reduce injury risk. Ask us about a sport-specific exercise programme.
- Use proper footwear. Running shoes are not designed for lateral movement. Court shoes (designed for tennis or badminton) provide the lateral stability your ankles need.
- Don’t play through pain. Mild muscle soreness after a session is normal. Sharp pain, joint swelling, or pain that persists for more than two days is a signal to rest and get assessed.
When Should You See a Chiropractor for a Pickleball Injury?
Don’t wait until you can barely hold your paddle. Earlier assessment leads to faster recovery and lowers the risk of a short-term problem becoming a chronic one. See a chiropractor if:
- Pain persists beyond 48–72 hours after a session
- You notice pain during play that forces you to modify your movement
- You have swelling, reduced range of motion, or tenderness around a joint
- You’ve had a previous injury in the same area that keeps recurring
- You want a movement assessment before starting pickleball to identify any vulnerabilities
Family Health Chiropractic is located 2 minutes from Somerset MRT at TripleOne Somerset, #08-03. Book an appointment and let us help you stay on the court.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pickleball Injuries in Singapore
Is pickleball hard on your body?
Pickleball is lower impact than tennis but more demanding than it looks. The rapid lateral movements, lunging, and repetitive paddle motions create significant stress on the elbows, knees, shoulders, and lower back — especially for players over 40 or those coming from a sedentary background. With proper preparation and a gradual build-up in playing frequency, most people can play safely.
What is pickleball elbow?
Pickleball elbow is the common term for lateral epicondylalgia — inflammation and irritation of the tendons on the outside of the elbow caused by repetitive paddle motions. It’s the pickleball equivalent of tennis elbow and is one of the most frequently seen pickleball injuries in Singapore. It typically responds well to chiropractic care, including joint mobilisation and soft tissue work on the forearm muscles.
Can a chiropractor help with pickleball injuries?
Yes. Chiropractic care is particularly effective for the joint and musculoskeletal issues that make up the majority of pickleball injuries — including elbow pain, lower back pain, knee strains, and shoulder complaints. A chiropractor assesses the whole kinetic chain rather than just the site of pain, which is important for understanding why the injury developed and preventing recurrence.
How long does it take to recover from a pickleball injury?
Recovery time depends on the type and severity of the injury. Minor muscle strains and overuse injuries often resolve within two to four weeks with appropriate care and reduced playing frequency. Ligament sprains, rotator cuff irritation, and tendinopathies may take four to eight weeks or longer, particularly if they’ve been present for some time before being addressed. Getting assessed early significantly shortens recovery time.
Should I stop playing pickleball if I’m injured?
It depends on the injury and its severity. Minor soreness often doesn’t require complete rest — modified activity (reduced intensity, fewer sessions) combined with active management is often the better approach. Sharp pain, joint swelling, or pain that worsens during play are signals to stop and seek assessment before returning to the court. Playing through significant pain almost always prolongs recovery.