So, I’ve been getting into pickleball lately, it’s a blast! But I started noticing this nagging pain in my elbow. Turns out, it’s a common thing called “tennis elbow,” even though I’m not playing tennis. Go figure. I definitely didn’t want this to stop me from playing, so I started looking into ways to avoid making it worse or even better, stop it altogether.
Started Slow, Then Stopped
First thing I did was ease into it. I mean, I’m not getting any younger, and my body definitely lets me know it. I started with shorter games and took more breaks. I played for like, I don’t know, 20-30 minutes, and then chilled out for a bit. Did this for a couple of weeks. It felt good, but that darn elbow pain was still there, just less intense. I took a few days off of pickleball to rest and see what happened.
Warmed Up and Stretched
Then, I figured, maybe I should warm up better. You know, like they always tell you to do. So, I started doing some arm circles, wrist rotations, the whole nine yards. And after playing, I stretched my forearm muscles. I held each stretch for about 30 seconds. I found some simple illustrations online that showed me how to do them right, don’t want to make anything worse!
- Arm circles – did about 10-15 in each direction.
- Wrist rotations – same, 10-15 each way.
- Forearm stretches – held for 30 seconds, did it a few times on each arm.
Iced It and Used a Brace
After playing, even after a short session, I started icing my elbow. Just a regular ice pack, wrapped in a towel, for about 15-20 minutes. It actually felt pretty good and seemed to reduce the swelling a bit. I also found this elbow brace thingy at a sports store. It’s basically a strap you put around your forearm, just below the elbow. It’s supposed to help support the muscles and tendons. I tried to find the best one.
New Grip and Paddle
Someone told me that my grip might be too tight, so I tried loosening it up a bit. I used to death grip it, squeeze it as hard as I could! It felt weird at first, but I got used to it. I started to wonder if my paddle was just a piece of junk. Maybe a better one would help? So, I borrowed a friend’s paddle that was a bit lighter and had a different grip. It was one of those fancy ones, cost a small fortune. I thought, “What the heck?” and bought one. It does feel a lot better in my hand.
Took a Real Break, Finally
After trying all this, the pain was still there, although it wasn’t as bad. So, I finally decided to take a real break. I stopped playing completely for about two weeks. It was tough, but I knew I needed to give my body a proper rest. During this time I kept doing some light stretches and using the ice pack occasionally.
Back at It!
After the two weeks, I slowly started playing again. This time, I really focused on warming up, stretching, and using the ice pack. And you know what? It actually worked! The pain is pretty much gone. I still wear the brace sometimes, just to be safe, and I’m definitely more mindful of my grip and paddle. I’m back to playing a few times a week and having a blast! It took some trial and error, but I finally figured out how to avoid making that tennis elbow worse. Now I can keep playing without worrying about it, and that’s a huge win! I’m going to keep at it, hopefully, I’ll never have to deal with this again!
