These days, at any gathering of padel-playing friends, it's common to hear that one of them has been
injured during the year. And most people might be surprised because amateur players
tend to believe that since they don't run much, their bodies don't suffer. This is a serious mistake.
Padel is an intermittent sport; that is, it's
not continuous and has varying intensities. And for the muscles, this is much worse due to the constant stops and starts we make.
Also, and although it may not seem like it, during a match, several jumps are usually made over the hour and a half the game lasts.
Jumps are quite aggressive for the body, as plyometrics are some of the toughest exercises for the body.
Undoubtedly, one of the movements that causes the most injuries in padel matches is the
calf muscle tear. These usually occur during starts, when the opponent makes a drop shot. It's during that burst of movement that muscle fibers often tear. Generally, as we've mentioned, most tears usually occur in the calves, but there are also many cases in the
adductors, quadriceps, and back.
We've already mentioned the lower body. But, above the waist, the most common injury is
epicondylitis, or commonly known as tennis elbow, mainly caused by the
weight of the racket, vibrations, and overuse of this tendon located in the elbow.
Then, though a distant second, shoulder injuries follow, also due to strenuous efforts from hitting incorrectly and forcefully.
Let's not forget that, although the racket weighs between 345 and 390 grams, it's
not the weight itself that can cause injuries, but rather that it's at the end of the hand, and when moved with power, it's known that physically the weight increases with speed, and if we add an overload of work to this, the injury occurs.
How to avoid padel injuries
The first thing to consider to avoid an injury is to
properly warm up before playing and exercise the muscles and joints with rotating movements. It's also necessary to evaluate each player's physical condition and, of course, their body mass index, which is very important, as an overweight player is straining their entire body, and a very thin player with low body mass can
easily injure tendons and ligaments.
Nutrition also plays a role in creating conditions both to prevent and to cause injuries.
Treatment of injuries
When a muscle, ligament, or tendon is injured, it is
essential to avoid overexertion of the affected muscle. Depending on the degree of the tear, rest may or may not be needed, but what is certain is that we should not play padel until we recover.
It is essential that we
treat the injury with a healthcare professional who understands these types of injuries, because if we let time pass, we probably won't feel the pain, but the damage will always remain, and it will be easier for the injury to recur with much less effort than before it first occurred.
Always remember that health comes first, and we should try to follow the recommendations to avoid injury, and even if, despite being careful, an injury occurs, we must
treat it immediately and appropriately with an expert.
These days, at any gathering of padel-playing friends, it's common to hear that one of them has been injured during the year. And most people might be surprised because amateur players tend to believe that since they don't run much, their bodies don't suffer. This is a serious mistake.
Padel is an intermittent sport; that is, it's not continuous and has varying intensities. And for the muscles, this is much worse due to the constant stops and starts we make.
Also, and although it may not seem like it, during a match, several jumps are usually made over the hour and a half the game lasts. Jumps are quite aggressive for the body, as plyometrics are some of the toughest exercises for the body.
Undoubtedly, one of the movements that causes the most injuries in padel matches is the calf muscle tear. These usually occur during starts, when the opponent makes a drop shot. It's during that burst of movement that muscle fibers often tear. Generally, as we've mentioned, most tears usually occur in the calves, but there are also many cases in the adductors, quadriceps, and back.
We've already mentioned the lower body. But, above the waist, the most common injury is epicondylitis, or commonly known as tennis elbow, mainly caused by the weight of the racket, vibrations, and overuse of this tendon located in the elbow.
Then, though a distant second, shoulder injuries follow, also due to strenuous efforts from hitting incorrectly and forcefully.
Let's not forget that, although the racket weighs between 345 and 390 grams, it's not the weight itself that can cause injuries, but rather that it's at the end of the hand, and when moved with power, it's known that physically the weight increases with speed, and if we add an overload of work to this, the injury occurs.
