PICKLEBALL
Treatment Leaders in Nevada
Providing orthopaedic excellence and top-tier care to every patient, Desert Orthopaedic Center is your source for exceptional bone, joint, and muscle care to treat pickleball players at any level.
Staying active is beneficial for health and fitness, and pickleball is a great way to incorporate activity and fitness into your lifestyle while having fun. Like other sports, however, there is a risk of injury. Pickleball players are unique athletes, each with unique needs that require special attention. When facing an injury, getting back on the court takes a collaborative effort, and it’s important to work with experts who have specialized experience to provide the most effective treatment tailored to your care needs.
When it comes to sports medicine, athletes are the focus. Helping patients reach their performance goals and return to the field or court are key factors in how our sports medicine doctors deliver care. Like any athlete, it is vital that pickleball players find a sports medicine doctor to get the highest level of play possible after an injury.
At Desert Orthopaedic Center, our team of pickleball injury experts is made up of board-certified and fellowship-trained specialists. With specialized training and recognized expertise in sports medicine, they take a team approach to find the best possible treatment for your pain or limitation so you can return to your favorite sports and activities.
Our pickleball injury specialists at Desert Orthopaedic Center are proud to be Pickleball Doctors. Offering expert tips for injury prevention, performance, and more, Pickleball Doctors is a group of elite doctors dedicated to helping you stay on—and dominate—the pickleball court.
Many leading doctors emphasize the importance of prevention as the best cure. Pickleball players of any level can reduce their risk of injury on the court by tackling some exercises off the court. In preparation for their next match, pickleball players can go a long way with strength training, conditioning, and targeted stretches. To improve your performance and prevent injury, follow an expert-designed program for your next workout or warm-up.
The Pickleball 10 to Win is your complete workout program for playing better pickleball. By using this program, you can improve your game and help prevent injury.
With these 10 targeted exercises, you can improve your flexibility, agility, strength, and endurance to win on the court and stay on the court.
BEAR HUGS
Stand straight or lie on your back and open up your arms, pulling your shoulders back to broaden your chest. Bring your arms back in, wrapping them around your chest, and pat the back of your shoulders. Repeat quickly 20 times.
For the Win: Do some resistance bear hugs. Hold a resistance band around your back. Then, reach your arms out in front of you like you are hugging someone. Hold for 3 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
POGO HOPS
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly, but keep your posture straight. Keep your feet together and jump up and down in place. Repeat for 30 seconds.
For the Win: Do some single-leg hops. Balance on one leg and hop in place for 30 seconds. Repeat while balancing on your other leg. For better agility training, use a line to hop over from left to right.
SIDE-LYING LEG LIFTS
Lie on your side with your legs straight and one leg on top of the other. Bend your knees slightly and move your top leg toward the sky or ceiling. Lift your leg slowly and lower it slowly. Repeat 10 times on each side.
For the Win: Try resistance leg lifts! While lying on your side, place a resistance band around your legs and above your knees while you complete your leg lifts. For more of a challenge, place the band around your ankles.
SINGLE-LEG BALANCE
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and lift one foot off the ground. If you need, hold your arms out to help you balance. Hold this position for up to a minute or as long as you can and repeat on the other side.
For the Win: Do single-leg extensions. Stand on one foot. Lift your other leg, extending it behind you, in front of you, and off to the side. Center your leg before each extension. Repeat 15 times on each side.
STANDING QUAD STRETCH
Stand on one foot and pull the other behind you, holding the ankle. If you need, hold onto something for balance. Pull your heel toward your buttocks, and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on each side.
For the Win: Do kneeling quad stretches. Kneel on one knee with the opposite foot planted flat in front of you. Push your hips forward and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat for 3 sets on each side.
ROWS
Put a resistance band around a stable surface, like a tree or fence, holding the band in each hand. Stand facing the band with your feet hip-width apart. Pull the band toward you, squeezing your shoulder blades. Return to your starting position. Repeat 15 times.
For the Win: Do some bodyweight rows. Instead of resistance bands, use your body weight. Find a stable horizontal surface, such as a table or bar, and lie underneath it, grasping the surface firmly with both hands. Pull yourself up then lower yourself back down. Repeat 15 times.
PLANKS
Put your hands and knees on the ground, and then extend your legs behind you. Support your weight on your forearms and toes. Keep your body straight from your head to your heels. Hold this position as long as you can.
For the Win: Try side planks with resistance in your arms. Support your weight on one foot and forearm. Hold a resistance band in both hands, and extend your free arm toward the sky or ceiling. Repeat 10 times on each side.
HEEL RAISES
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly lift your heels off the ground, rising up onto the balls of your feet. Pause as you get to your tip-toe position, then lower your heels slowly back down to the ground. Repeat 20 times.
For the Win: Try single-leg heel raises. Instead of using both feet, lift one foot off the ground while putting your weight on the other foot and lifting that heel up. Repeat 20 times on each side.
SQUATS
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your hips down and back as if you are sitting down in a chair. Keep your weight on your heels. Return to a standing position. Repeat 10 times.
For the Win: Try single-leg squats. Instead of two feet down as you squat, lift one foot off the ground and extend it in front of you as you lower your hips and return to a standing position. Repeat 10 times on each side.
LUNGES
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Take a big step forward with one foot. Lower your hips down until your front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle. Keep your weight on your front heel. Push off your front foot to return to a standing position. Repeat 10 times on each side.
For the Win: Do backward and side lunges. For backward lunges, take a big step backward, lower, and push off your back foot to return to standing. For side lunges, take a step out to the side, lower yourself on that side, and push back up from that foot to return to standing.
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John M. Baldauf, M.D.
Dr. Baldauf graduated from The University of Arizona in 1984. He received his medical degree in 1988 from Jefferson Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia followed by orthopaedic training at Tulane University School of Medicine and Charity Hospital in New Orleans. Dr. Baldauf then served as chief of orthopaedic surgery for nine years with the U.S. Air Force from 1995 until 2004, including a six-month deployment to the Middle East during the Second Gulf War. Originally from Arizona, he has lived in the Las Vegas…
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Thomas Dunn, M.D.
Dr. Dunn received a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of California, San Diego. He graduated from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, receiving a medical degree in 1985. Deciding to pursue a career in surgery, he completed two years of general surgery training at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center followed by four years of orthopaedic surgery training at the same facility. To follow his interest in spine surgery, he was accepted to additional subspecialty surgery training at the…
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Roger A. Fontes, M.D.
Dr. Fontes completed medical school with highest honors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (the third-ranked medical school in the U.S. in 2009). He then completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of California, San Francisco.
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Matthew N. Fouse, M.D.
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Kyle J. Hancock, M.D.
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Chad M. Hanson, M.D.
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Lawrence R. Huff, M.D.
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Parminder S. Kang, M.D.
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Andrew B. Kim, D.O.
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Daniel D. Lee, M.D.
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Michael L. Lee, M.D.
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Michael Miao, M.D.
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Russell T. Nevins, M.D.
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Steven K. Nishiyama, D.O., Ph.D.
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S. Andrew Park, M.D.
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Archie C. Perry, Jr., M.D.
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Abdi Raissi, M.D.
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Walter J. Song, M.D.
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Timothy B. Sutherland, M.D.
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Richard S. Woodworth, M.D.
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Jessica R. Zarndt, D.O.
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If you are facing an injury and continuing to train or play pickleball—or any sport—it can be harmful to your recovery. The wrong injury can be the reason you stay off the court indefinitely. To avoid serious injury, you should be seen by an orthopaedic specialist right away.
Our experts know that it takes an accurate diagnosis from an experienced specialist to provide the best treatment plan for your injury. Schedule an appointment online or call (702) 731-4088 to consult with one of our specialty-trained sports medicine doctors if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Popping sound or sensation in your arm, wrist, hip, shoulder, back, or knee after a fall
- Inability to put weight on your foot, ankle, knee, or leg
- Continued muscle or joint pain after resting and icing
- Pain in your hand, wrist, or forearm when holding your pickleball paddle
- Pain in your shoulder, back, neck, or arm when swinging your pickleball paddle
- Sudden, persistent pain in your back, arms, or legs after playing, especially if it is tender and/or warm to the touch
Common pickleball injuries include:
- Back strains
- Golfer’s elbow
- Hamstring strains
- Herniated or slipped disc
- Knee cartilage and tendon injuries
- Plantar fascia ruptures
- Plantar fasciitis
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Tennis elbow
- Wrist and ankle sprains
The best treatment for you is one just as unique as you are and is focused on returning you to your active lifestyle. Our pickleball injury experts at Desert Orthopaedic Center have extensive knowledge and experience in the best treatments available for your needs. Our team will work closely with you to determine a diagnosis and the solution that will help you meet your goals and stay active. Dedicated to providing a full range of services and treatments, our doctors will always start with conservative, nonsurgical care plans before suggesting surgery. If surgery is necessary, our doctors are highly skilled in the latest techniques to ensure the safest, fastest, and best overall recovery and experience.
Common Pickleball Injuries & Treatments
We deliver exceptional care for the injuries and conditions of every pickleball player we treat. See the list below for some of the common injuries experienced by pickleball players as well as treatments offered by our pickleball injury experts. To learn more, click the associated link provided.