Carol Todd-Lalonde, a part of Canada’s pickleball obsession, knows only too well the toll the sport can take on regular players. She has endured an array of injuries spanning from her neck to her ankle, all while nurturing her year-round devotion to our favorite sport.

Tendinitis, Neck Strain, And Hip Injury!

“This time last year, I had tendinitis in my elbow, a neck strain, a hip injury — all from pickleball — and I couldn’t play at all,” she told Ken Warren at The Ottawa Citizen. “And then last March, I sprained my ankle playing. I stretched to hit a shot, but my legs didn’t come with me. Without your legs moving, you risk twisting your ankle.”

Undeterred, she’s resumed playing twice weekly this winter at the RA Centre in Ottawa, joining the throngs that fill courts from morning till late at night – a testament to the sport’s popularity. An estimated 1.37 million Canadians have taken part in the game every month this year!

However, the surge in participation comes at a cost – players endure a litany of sprains, twists, tweaks, and fractures, straining both their health and medical resources.

Lower-Body Injuries

Thankfully, the groundwork laid by Dr. Ian Stiell at Ottawa Hospital three decades ago has markedly curbed hospital visits stemming from pickleball patients suffering lower-body injuries.

In the epicenter of pickleball enthusiasm, Florida, Stiell enjoys a high reputation. His contributions to The Ottawa Rules, a concise manual on treating ankle injuries, have notably minimized emergency room visits and X-rays.

“The Ottawa Ankle Rules are the most commonly used guidelines to determine whether X-rays are necessary,” states a forthcoming study from the Florida State University College of Medicine investigating pickleball injuries.

These rules offer straightforward steps for athletes to self-assess injuries, available through a user-friendly app.

Pickleball Shining A Spotlight

Although pickleball scarcely existed during Stiell’s research tenure, he gleefully acknowledges the spotlight it casts on emergency medicine at The Ottawa Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

“The good old Ottawa Ankle Rules have been around a long time,” says Stiell. “They did have a surge in popularity 20 years ago when they were mentioned on the show ER in one episode when they were questioning a medical student.”

He adds that they can be administered courtside.

“It doesn’t matter if they limped or said ‘ouch,’” Stiell said, recalling the first times they tried the tests. “If they could actually do it, then that would lessen the likelihood of a fracture.”

“Often ankles swell up, and they look ugly, but in fact, if you examine the bone part and it doesn’t hurt, it’s therefore not broken.”

Rest And Self-Care

As for Todd-Lalonde and her ankle mishap last spring, recovery ensued through rest and self-care.

“I stayed off it,” she recounted. “I elevated it and used ice. It took a while, but it’s good now.”

Fully aware that future injuries are just a part of the game, Todd-Lalonde chuckles at the sight of her mostly retired pickleball peers adorned with knee braces, arm supports, and ankle wraps during their games.

“You want to stay active,” she remarked. “It’s fun. It’s frustrating sometimes, but you’ve got to get some exercise.”