LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – What started as a beautiful Saturday afternoon on a pickleball court, abruptly ended with a pop and my body collapsing onto the court.
With pain shooting up my calf I knew instantly what happened, I had popped his Achilles tendon.
Dr. Troy Watson, a local specialist in foot and ankle injuries, tells FOX5 that my injury is not uncommon among pickleball players.
“It’s a rubber band that’s actually popping,” Dr. Watson said. ” You not only feel it but often hear that loud audible pop. It’s unmistakable.”
According to Dr. Watson, Achilles ruptures often happen with starts and stops, which happen often in pickleball when players pursue the ball. It revolves around the sudden push-off, which heavily utilizes the calf muscle.
While pickleball continues to be one of the fastest-growing sports, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says pickleball injuries have shot up 200% in the last 20 years. This rise has kept people like Dr. Watson and Dr. Jeff Deets busy.
Dr. Deets is my physical therapist and has been working to get me to walk again.
“75% of all injuries are in the more mature athlete,” said Dr. Deets. “Typically between fifty-five and seventy-five years old.”
Back in the day, an Achilles tear automatically meant surgery – and still does for most professional athletes. However, new research is showing the non-surgical route can be just as effective for weekend warriors like me.
Dr. Watson starts that process by splinting the foot at an angle so the Achilles tendon can repair itself.
“It brings the two tendon ends together so that natural healing takes place of the tendon ends.” Dr. Watson continues, “Once we get you moving again the tendon moves as a unit. That’s the way it works.”
The typical Achilles tear takes up to a full year to recover from, but the doctors have me walking again sooner. But I soon found out that my Achilles was not the only injury I was facing.
Next week, we’ll dive deeper into the world of pickleball injuries, and the long list of ways they can affect you.
Tune in for Part 2 of our Special Report, “Serving Up Pain” on Friday at 6 a.m., only on FOX5!
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