Padel Injuries: The Joints

Due to the characteristics of the game, typical padel injuries tend to be those that affect the joints.

Joint injuries can occur due to the repetition of the same strokes, not recovering correctly from previous injuries, and not doing proper warm-ups and stretches at the end of the match. In padel, we perform explosive gestures and movements that push our joints to maximum performance. These sudden changes especially affect the joints of the lower body (ankle, knee, hip). When we try to make a movement that our body perceives as risky, ligaments act as a brake to prevent damage. Therefore, it is the muscles that intervene, generating enough contraction to either perform the movement or stop it. However, the problem arises when our muscle is too fatigued, which is when joint injury occurs. We also want to discuss muscle tears, which are caused by an abrupt muscle contraction. Unlike a strain, a muscle tear involves the complete rupture of several muscle fibers. These are painful injuries that usually involve inflammation of the area and are typically treated with rest, anti-inflammatories, and exercises such as light stretching to aid recovery. Furthermore, if we do not prepare adequately for exercise by training, warming up, and stretching correctly, we will also experience other discomforts such as cramps, muscle contractures, and back pain.

• How can we prevent joint injuries?-First, we should do a good warm-up, which should last between 5 and 10 minutes. -Before, during, and after playing, you should drink water to prevent cramps. -We must wait until we have fully recovered before playing again, to avoid a recurrence of the injury. -It is very important to stretch after the match to return the muscles to a relaxed state, always stretching without forcing. It is not beneficial to stretch before the match. -The technique for different strokes is very important, as sometimes we don't fully refine our technique and make execution errors that can lead to injury. -We must also emphasize the importance of having a good quality padel racket and specific, quality shoes. Using good equipment will help us prevent injuries such as sprains or epicondylitis.

In summary, the basic and fundamental things we should do to avoid or reduce the risk of injury while playing padel are to dedicate a few minutes to a good warm-up before starting and also to spend some time stretching our muscles after the match.