Common Padel Injuries: What the Research Says

Padel is gentle, but not injury-free

Quick take. A 2023 review of padel injury studies found the elbow is hurt most often, followed by the knee, shoulder and lower back. Tendon and muscle problems make up most injuries. Warming up, building up slowly and the right racket help, and lasting pain is a job for a physio.

Padel is easy to pick up, which is a big reason it has grown so fast in Bangkok. But "easy" does not mean "no injuries". Many players go from zero to four sessions a week in a few months, often in the heat, and the body notices.

What the research found

In 2023 a team led by Jari Dahmen published a systematic review in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. It pulled together the published studies on injuries in padel. The main numbers:

• About 3 injuries per 1,000 hours of training and about 8 per 1,000 matches. Matches are riskier than practice.
• Between 40% and 95% of the players in the different studies had had an injury.
• The elbow was the most common place, then the knee, shoulder and lower back.
• Tendon injuries were 40–48% of all injuries, and muscle injuries 31–33%.

Two problems stand out. Tennis elbow was reported in as many as 74% of injured players in one study. "Tennis leg", a tear in the calf muscle, made up about 22% of injuries in another. Ankle sprains and lower back pain were each about 7–8%.

The authors point out that the studies are small and measured injuries in different ways, so the numbers are a guide, not a precise forecast.

Habits that help

The review measured injuries rather than testing ways to prevent them, so the tips below are general sports advice, not findings from that paper.

• Warm up properly. Five to ten minutes of easy movement, lunges, calf raises and gentle rallying before you start counting points. Cold calves and sudden sprints are a classic mix.
• Build up slowly. Add sessions gradually rather than jumping from one game a week to five.
• Check your racket. A very hard or head-heavy racket passes more shock to the arm. Players with sore elbows often do better with a softer, head-light frame. See our racket buying guide.
• Wear padel shoes. A herringbone or omni sole grips the sand-filled turf; running shoes slide. Our shoe guide has more.
• Respect the heat. Drink before you are thirsty and book evening slots in the hot months.
• Don't play through pain. A sore tendon caught early heals much faster than one ignored for weeks. If pain lasts more than a week or two, see a physio.

A coach can also spot technique faults, like a stiff wrist on the bandeja, that load the elbow: see our coaching page.

Swap recovery tips and physio recommendations with other players: join the Bangkok Padel Community on Facebook.

Sources

• Dahmen J. et al., Incidence, prevalence and nature of injuries in padel: a systematic review (BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2023)