Taking a team approach in assessing, diagnosing, and treating a wide variety of sports-related injuries and conditions of the upper extremity, The Hand & Upper Extremity Center of Georgia is your source for all the specialized bone, joint, and muscle care a pickleball player could need.
Staying active has its risks and rewards, and like other sports, pickleball is no different. Each pickleball player is a unique athlete with specific needs. Following an injury, staying on the court requires teamwork with experts who have the training to treat you and your needs as effectively as possible.
When it comes to treating athletes, sports medicine has your back by making you the main focus. Our experts are strategic in choosing the best care methods to fit an athlete’s performance goals to return them to play. Like any athlete, it is essential that pickleball players find the right expert to get them back to the highest level of play possible as quickly as possible after an injury.
At The Hand & Upper Extremity Center of Georgia, our pickleball injury experts are specialists with board certification and fellowship training. They are ready to use their training and knowledge in sports medicine to give you the specialized care you can trust to get you back on your feet. Our specialists will work with you to find the solution best suited to treat your pain or limitation, so you can get back into pickleball shape.
Our pickleball injury experts at The Hand & Upper Extremity Center of Georgia are proud to be Pickleball Doctors. Providing 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.
Prepare for Pickleball Play & Avoid Injury
As dynamic as pickleball is, it is no wonder that injuries can happen to individuals of any level. To reduce the chances of injury, it is important to not only work on the court but off it too. With strength training, conditioning, and targeted stretches, you can go a long way in the game of pickleball. Follow a workout plan created by experts to further improve your game and prepare you for your next match.
The Pickleball 10 to Win, from Atlanta’s leaders in treating pickleball injuries at The Hand & Upper Extremity Center of Georgia, is the program you need to get back on the court playing at your best. By implementing this program in your exercise or warm-up, you can level up your pickleball skills and help prevent injury.
Pickleball 10 to Win
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.
When to Be Seen
When you’re in pain, training or playing pickleball—or any sport—can be detrimental. The wrong injury can keep you off the pickleball court indefinitely. If you are in pain, you should be seen by an orthopedic specialist right away.
To get the best care for your hand or upper extremity injury, it takes the experience and knowledge of an experienced doctor to provide an accurate diagnosis. Request an appointment online or call (404) 255-0226 to consult with one of our specialty-trained sports medicine doctors if you experience:
- A fall on the court that resulted in a popping sound or sensation in your arm, wrist, elbow, or shoulder
- Muscle or joint pain that does not go away after resting and icing
- Pain in your hand, wrist, or forearm when holding your pickleball paddle
- Shoulder or arm pain when swinging your pickleball paddle
- Sudden and persistent pain in a specific area in your arm after playing, especially if it is tender and/or warm to the touch
Common pickleball injuries include:
- Wrist, elbow, and shoulder strains
- Golfer’s elbow
- Tennis elbow
- Rotator cuff and tendon injuries
- Wrist sprains
- Wrist fractures
SAME-DAY APPOINTMENTS
AVAILABLE IN CUMMING
Being involved in sports is rewarding, but sometimes, your injuries can get in the way of staying active. Get prompt attention for your sports injury with a same-day appointment, available at our Cumming Office.
2000 Howard Farm Drive
Suite 310
Cumming, GA 30041
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Gary M. Lourie, M.D.
Gary M. Lourie, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports-related injuries of the hand, wrist, and elbow, with expertise in both nonoperative and operative treatment methods. He has been an orthopedic hand surgeon for the Atlanta Braves for over 20 years and recently completed a three-year stint as head team physician. He is a consultant for Auburn University, Western Carolina University, Georgia Southern, and Georgia State University. Dr. Lourie presently continues as the hand/upper extremity surgeon for the Braves as well as the Single A, Double A, and Triple A minor league affiliates.
Allan E. Peljovich, M.D., M.P.H.
Allan E. Peljovich, M.D., M.P.H., is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports-related injuries of the hand, wrist, and elbow. His expertise includes nonoperative and operative treatment of the hand, wrist, and elbow. He currently serves as the Medical Director of the Hand & Upper Extremity Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, continues as one of the founding surgeons to the Brachial Plexus Clinic at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and is a consulting surgeon for the Limb Deficiency Clinic of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta/Scottish Rite. He is also co-Division Chief of Hand Surgery for the Atlanta Medical Center Orthopedic Residency.
Jeffrey A. Klugman, M.D.
Jeffrey A. Klugman, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon and an adult and pediatric hand, wrist, and elbow expert specializing in sports-related injuries and nerve-related conditions. His expertise includes nonoperative and operative treatment of the hand, wrist, and elbow. He is an active member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is a multiple-time recipient of Atlanta Top Doc from Atlanta magazine. Dr. Klugman specializes exclusively in adult and pediatric hand and upper extremity surgery.
Joshua A. Ratner, M.D.
Joshua A. Ratner, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon with advanced training in upper extremity and microsurgery, and he specializes in surgical and nonsurgical treatment of sports-related injuries of the hand, wrist, and elbow. He is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and holds a Subspecialty Certificate in Surgery of the Hand from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Ratner has been honored as a winner of the 2021 Best of Alpharetta in the category of "Doctors."
Bryce T. Gillespie, M.D.
Bryce T. Gillespie, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand, wrist, elbow, and nerve conditions and injuries. He provides surgical and nonsurgical care to patients of all ages with sports-related injuries, traumatic injuries, congenital differences, arthritis, and other conditions affecting the arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand. Dr. Gillespie has given many presentations and lectures at local and national meetings, and his research project from Boston Children’s Hospital about nerve injuries from specific elbow fractures in children was awarded the Sumner Koch Award for the best clinical paper at the 2014 American Society for Surgery of the Hand annual meeting.
Erika L. Templeton, M.D.
Erika L. Templeton, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in the surgical and nonsurgical care of hand, wrist, elbow, and nerve conditions in all ages. She is fellowship-trained in hand and upper extremity surgery in both adults and children. Dr. Templeton enjoys guiding treatment for patients with all types of upper extremity concerns, including trauma, arthritis, congenital, sports-related injuries, and more. She is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the Pediatric Hand Study Group, and Alpha Omega Alpha.
Specialized Care for Pickleball Players
The treatment that works for you is the treatment that helps you meet your health, fitness, and performance goals at the highest possible level. Our pickleball injury experts at The Hand & Upper Extremity Center of Georgia 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.
With dedicated expertise in the full range of treatments and protocols, our doctors will always recommend conservative, nonsurgical care plans before suggesting surgery. If surgery is necessary, our doctors are skilled in the latest minimally invasive techniques to ensure the safest, fastest, and best overall recovery and experience.
Common Pickleball Injuries & Treatments
We offer complete, unique care programs for every pickleball player we treat. See the links below for information on common upper extremity pickleball injuries as well as treatments offered by our pickleball injury experts.