LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Pickleball has grown in popularity over the past few years, and so have the injuries associated with playing the fast-paced sport.
Serious eye injuries are on the rise, especially among players over 50.
“People are falling while they’re playing. People are coming in with a lot of shoulder injuries,” said Dr. Anthony Cardillo, an emergency medicine specialist with Adventist Health Glendale. “We’re seeing a lot of pickleball elbow now because of that movement that’s happening, a quick snap movement.”
Anne Ruby Dee of Glendora took up the sport a month ago, and it didn’t take long for her to hurt her knee.
“I twisted it when I was trying to get the ball, and so far, I’ve just been icing it up,” she said.
But Cardillo said there’s another type of injury growing just as fast as the sport.
“We’re getting a lot of ocular, eye injuries,” he said. “It’s really getting hit in the face with either the ball or a racket.”
Pickleball caused an estimated 1,250 eye injuries in 2024 with a total of 3,000 since 2005. A new JAMA Ophthalmology study found pickleball-related eye injuries have jumped an additional 400 cases a year from 2021 to 2024
They found that players aged 50 and older accounted for about 70% of pickleball-related eye injuries, possibly due to age-related declines in muscle strength, bone density, and balance.
Most injuries were caused by a direct hit by a pickleball, direct hit by a paddle, or falls.
“People are swinging, they’re not being mindful and careful, and they’ll hit their partner in the eye with the racket and also get hit with that ball,” said Cardillo, who added that the study should remind people to be more careful on the court but suggests a pair of sport goggles can help protect you.
“I don’t know if I’ll be wearing goggles while playing pickleball,” said Dee, who didn’t let her knee injury stop her from competing in this year’s Posh Pickleball Tournament at the La Canada Country Club.
She said pickleball is really all about having fun.
“I’m enjoying it, my husband enjoys it, my kids, and so do my friends,” she said.
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