Pickleball Pain:

Why "Just Rest" Isn’t the Answer for Pickleball Pain

Pickleball’s rapid rise in popularity has brought a new wave of athletes, of all ages and skill levels, onto the court. With that rise comes a familiar story we hear often: something starts to hurt (usually a knee, shoulder, or elbow), and after a quick visit to a medical provider or even traditional physical therapy, the recommendation is simply to rest or stop playing for a while.

But if you’ve ever been told to just “take it easy” with no clear plan forward, you’re not alone—and you’re right to feel frustrated.

The Problem With Passive Recovery

Pickleball is a fast-paced, rotational sport with short bursts of power, quick lateral movement, and repetitive overhead motions. This means your body needs a certain level of mobility, strength, and stability to play comfortably and prevent injury.

When pain starts to creep in, whether it’s tennis elbow from repeated swings or nagging knee pain from quick cuts, just stopping activity might relieve the symptoms temporarily. But it doesn’t solve the underlying issue.

You can rest for weeks and still feel the same when you get back on the court… or worse, feel of shape and still in pain.

What You Actually Need

The key to keeping your game strong and pain-free is NOT about stepping away from pickleball. It’s about identifying why something hurts in the first place.

– Are your hips stiff, causing extra strain on your knees?
– Is your shoulder doing all the work because your core and legs aren’t contributing to your shot mechanics?
– Are small stability muscles being overlooked in your current work out program?

Keep Playing, With A Smarter Approach

Whether you’re training for a local tournament or just want to keep your weekday doubles game going strong, pain doesn’t have to sideline you. A performance-minded approach to physical therapy looks at the full picture, not just the injury, but how your body, moves, compensates, and absorbs stress over time.

The goal? Get back to playing consistently, with confidence, and maybe even improve your game along the way!

Smarter Approach >> Curious if your pain is coming from a deeper movement issue?

Schedule a personalized movement screen with our team and find out what’s really holding you back—so you can stay on the court, pain-free. Contact our team today!

– Dr. Sarah Shyu, PT, DPT

Don’t leave it to chance.

Let Denver’s premier team of sports physical therapists and performance coaches lead the way!