Pickleball is now the fastest-growing sport in America, with close to 20 million players as of 2024. It is low-cost, social, and easy to pick up. But the sport’s explosive popularity has a less talked-about side: emergency departments and orthopedic clinics are seeing far more pickleball-related injuries than ever before.
If your back aches after a few matches, you are not alone. Research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 2025 found that spine injuries tied to pickleball increased 56-fold between 2013 and 2023. Understanding why this happens is the first step toward staying pain-free on the court.
Spine injuries from pickleball increased 56 times between 2013 and 2023. Of those injuries, 84% affected the lower back.
Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2025
Why Does Pickleball Hurt Your Back?
Pickleball may look gentle, but it makes real demands on your spine. The game involves quick sideways shuffles, sudden stops, and repeated twisting when you serve or smash. Every time you reach across your body or bend low to return a kitchen shot, your lumbar discs and surrounding muscles absorb the load.
The same 2025 JAAOS study found that among pickleball players who needed orthopedic care for a spine injury, the most common complaint was lumbar radicular pain. This is the shooting, burning sensation that travels down the leg from a compressed nerve root. It uses the same pathway as sciatica, which is one reason pickleball back pain can feel so alarming.
The problem usually is not one dramatic injury. It is cumulative load. Playing three or four times a week on hard courts, without adequate hip mobility or core strength, gradually overloads the lumbar joints and discs.
What Are the Most Common Pickleball Injuries?
Back pain is not the only concern. A nationwide study of 1,758 pickleball players found that over a 12-month period, 22.2% had shoulder injuries and 19.9% had back injuries. The overall injury rate across all complaint types was 68.5%, a striking number for a sport often marketed as low-impact.
Shoulder injuries typically come from the overhead smash and repeated paddle swings that stress the rotator cuff. Knee problems stem from the same lateral cutting moves that also load the lower back. Falls on hard courts account for a large share of emergency visits.
A 10-year analysis published in January 2025 found that pickleball-related emergency department visits surged 41% between 2020 and 2021 alone, with falls being the most common mechanism.
Older players face additional risk. A 2024 review in Cureus noted that pickleball athletes over 50 tend to have more underlying joint degeneration, meaning what looks like a minor injury on the surface can involve more complex anatomy than it first appears.
Simple Exercises You Can Do Right Now
If your back is sore after pickleball, a few targeted movements can help before mild soreness becomes a chronic problem.
Hip 90/90 stretch: Sit on the floor with both knees bent at 90 degrees in opposite directions. Slowly rotate your torso toward each knee and hold for 30 seconds per side. Stiff hips are one of the most common underlying causes of pickleball back pain, because the spine compensates when the hips cannot rotate freely.
Dead bug: Lie on your back with arms pointing at the ceiling and knees bent at 90 degrees. Lower your right arm overhead and your left leg toward the floor at the same time. Return and switch sides. This builds the deep core stability your lumbar spine depends on during lateral movement.
Banded clamshells: Lie on your side with a light resistance band just above both knees. With feet together, open the top knee like a clamshell while keeping your pelvis still. Weak glutes force the lower back to do work it was not designed to handle.
How to Prevent Pickleball Injuries Going Forward
A 2025 review in Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports found that injury risk in pickleball is closely linked to skipping the warm-up, poor hip mobility, and wearing the wrong footwear for the court surface.
A few adjustments make a real difference. Warm up for at least 10 minutes before play using dynamic movement rather than static holds. Wear court shoes with lateral support. Running shoes are built for forward movement and lack the side-to-side stability pickleball demands. Take one or two rest days between sessions, especially if you are over 50.
For persistent or recurring pain, a physical therapist, sports medicine physician, or chiropractor can assess whether the problem is coming from muscle fatigue, a disc issue, or something structural. Early evaluation tends to lead to much better outcomes than waiting until the pain becomes limiting.
The Bottom Line
Pickleball is a genuinely good sport. It gets people moving, builds social connection, and is easier on the body than many higher-impact alternatives. The injury risk is real, but it is manageable with the right preparation and body awareness.
Back pain after pickleball is not something to push through. Pain is a signal that something in your movement pattern or tissue tolerance needs attention. Address it early and you are far more likely to be playing comfortably next season. If you are dealing with lower back pain or another sports injury, understanding the underlying cause is the most important first step.
Sources & Further Reading
- Gallagher K, et al. “Introduction to Spine Injuries in the Pickleball Athlete.” Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. February 2025.
- “Increasing Incidence of Pickleball Injuries Presenting to US Emergency Departments: A 10-year Epidemiologic Analysis of Mechanisms and Trends.” Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. January 2025. PMC11758564.
- “Pickleball Injuries in the Aging Athlete: A Critical Analysis Review.” Cureus. September 2024. PMC11496387.
- “Understanding Injury Patterns and Predictors in Pickleball Players: A Nationwide Study of 1,758 Participants.” 2025. PMC12373573.
- Heiderscheit B, et al. “Diagnosis and Management of Common Musculoskeletal Injuries in the Pickleball Athlete.” Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports. July 2025.
