Posted on 06/29/2023 7:07:08 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Pickleball, America’s fastest-growing sport, is taking a toll on players’ wrists, legs and shoulders. And it’s especially popular with injury-prone seniors, which is driving up the cost burden.
Pickleball injuries may cost Americans $377 million in health care costs this year, accounting for 5% to 10% of total unexpected medical costs, UBS analysts estimated in a report Monday.
“While we generally think of exercise as positively impacting health outcomes, the ‘can-do’ attitude of today’s seniors can pose greater risk in other areas such as sports injuries, leading to a greater number of orthopedic procedures,” the analysts said.
Pickleball-related injuries occur most frequently in older people, according to a 2021 medical study. From 2010-2019, 86% of emergency department visits due to pickleball injuries occurred in people over 60 years old, according to the medical study. Around 60% of pickleball injuries are sprains, strains and fractures. Twenty percent are contusions, abrasions, or internal injuries; and fewer than 10% are lacerations or dislocations.
The analysts estimated that there will be around 67,000 emergency room visits, 366,000 outpatient visits and 9,000 outpatient surgeries related to pickleball injuries this year.
Pickleball exploded since the pandemic began, and that’s leading to more injuries. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association trade group, pickleball has grown from 3.5 million players in 2019 to 8.9 million in 2022. The number of players will jump to 22 million this year, the UBS analysts estimate.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
When pickleball is outlawed, only outlaws will play pickleball.
It is kinda true. They even advertise hip, knee and shoulder replacement available for pickleball players. Of course it’s Florida where pickleball is very popular.
May? When it happens, that will be news.
Look for the government to ban Pickleball..
For your safety, of course..
A slightly faster game of badminton- how thrilling lol. Watched a few games of pickleball- nope, wasn’t impressed with it. Its like ping pong with larger paddles. Much rather watch tennis.
How utterly ridiculous and so, so typical of CNN.
Sure, there are orthopedic injuries, but what about cardiac health, and mental well-being? These five million people are out there getting great exercise, competing, and having lots of fun with friends. Oh, just ignore all those benefits.
I’d guess those benefits are one hundred times greater than all the injuries combined.
Never heard of it!
Same here.
Perhaps the value of heath benefits of the exercise resulting from pickleball out weigh the cost of injuries.
Vs. the health cost of them sitting on their ass?
In my town 1/2 of the tennis courts have been replaced with 2 pickle ball courts...
The pickle ball courts are packed...
Need some Pickle Ball control laws. Register all paddles. Carry permits. No
paddles over 4 ounces and 6 inches corner to corner. In case of injury, revoke
permit and confiscate the paddle and balls owned by that player.
It’s for the children.
Remember who pays their bills. The LAST thing their advertisers want are healthy Americans who don't need drugs and surgery.
Pickle ball is for tennis players who have slowed down due to age. It is all the rage in Florida. Of course, the reasons they can’t play tennis are the same reasons that cause injury.
Lots of older women playing a game that causes lots of falls.
My former marine family member in awesome shape snapped his achilles playing pickle ball.
Anecdotal but gives me pause.
“The LAST thing their advertisers want are healthy Americans who don’t need drugs and surgery.”
Now that is a very good point! Plus, it’s the old news editor adage, “If it bleeds, it leads.” CNN is probably hoping for lots of compound fractures and blood all over the courts.
One of my nephews was a nationally ranked badminton player. At that level of play, it’s not much like the kids-in-the-backyard version. Really good table tennis is a far cry from rec-room play, too.
Never played or watched pickleball.
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