Pickleball has done something I genuinely love: it has gotten millions of people who stopped exercising back on their feet and having fun. The social connection, the cardio, the competitive spark. As a physician, I am a huge fan.

But here is what nobody in the pickleball world wants to say out loud: injury rates are climbing fast. And the people getting hurt are not beginners. They are the most enthusiastic players, the ones out there four or five days a week, convinced they have finally found the perfect low-impact sport.

Spoiler: it is not as low-impact as it looks.

The three injuries I am seeing most at CORE right now:

Pickleball elbow. Repetitive volleys, backhands and drop shots strain the tendons on the outside of the elbow. It starts as a dull ache you play through, and that is exactly the problem.

Achilles & ankle injuries. Quick pivots and explosive lateral cuts are deceptive. The Achilles give little warning before it goes, and recovery is long.

Knee pain: Osteoarthritis, meniscus and tendon injuries. Stop-and-start movement on hard courts loads aging cartilage in ways players do not expect. I am seeing osteoarthritis exacerbations, patellar tendon pain and meniscus tears across all age groups.

The pattern is almost always the same. Someone discovers pickleball, feels great, plays more, skips rest days because it does not feel hard, and then somewhere around week six or month three, something gives.

The issue is not pickleball. It is that tendons, cartilage, and connective tissue adapt much more slowly than cardiovascular fitness does. You feel ready for more. Your tissues are not there yet.

Three things that actually protect you. Build in at least one rest day between sessions. Strengthen your core and hips since they absorb the load for everything below them. And if something starts aching after play, that is your body asking for attention, not permission to push through.

Most pickleball injuries I treat at CORE are very fixable, especially when caught early. The ones that become serious are the ones that got two months of "I will rest it next week."

If something has been nagging, now is a good time to get it looked at.

April is one of the best times of year to eat strawberries, and not just because they taste better. Domestic strawberry season peaks in spring across most of the US, which means what you find at the farmers market or grocery store right now is genuinely fresher, sweeter, and more nutritious than what you get in December.

Strawberries are loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber, and they have real anti-inflammatory benefits that support recovery, heart health, and blood sugar stability. For something that tastes like a treat, they pull a lot of weight nutritionally.

Here is the one thing I always tell patients though: buy organic when it comes to strawberries. They consistently rank at the top of the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen, meaning conventionally grown strawberries carry some of the highest pesticide residues of any produce. It is one of the swaps where organic is genuinely worth it.

Try this: Strawberry Coconut Chia Pudding

Combine chia seeds with full-fat coconut milk and a small splash of vanilla. Stir well, then refrigerate overnight or for at least four hours until set. When ready to serve, top with fresh sliced strawberries and a light drizzle of maple syrup. Optional but worth it: a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes on top.

Naturally sweet, dairy-free, and genuinely satisfying. The chia seeds give you fiber and omega-3s while the coconut milk makes it feel indulgent without actually being heavy.

The step-down does not look like much. No heavy weights, no explosive movement, no sweat in the first thirty seconds. But it is one of the most effective exercises for building the knee control and glute stability that protect you in everyday life and in sport, and most people skip it entirely.

How to do it

Stand on a step or low box with one foot. Keep your standing leg slightly bent, chest tall, and hips level. Slowly lower your opposite heel toward the floor by bending the standing knee, then press back up with control. The movement should be slow, deliberate, and wobble-free. If your knee is diving inward on the way down, that is your glute telling you it needs more work.

Aim for 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per side.

Modify or progress

To make it easier, use a lower step or hold a wall for balance. To progress, add a light dumbbell, slow the lowering phase to a full three to five second count, or advance to a box jump once control is solid.

Simple, effective, and one of the most underrated moves in injury prevention.

One of the most common things I hear from patients is that they are doing everything right but still feel like they are not making progress. What they do not realize is that the scale was never giving them the full picture to begin with.

The InBody 580 is a medical-grade body composition scan that takes about 45 seconds and tells you things a scale simply cannot. How much of your weight is muscle versus fat. Where fat is distributed. Whether your hydration is balanced. Whether one side of your body is carrying more load than the other.

That last one matters more than most people think. Muscle imbalances are one of the most common drivers of injury we see at CORE, and they can be difficult to catch without objective data.

We use the InBody to give patients a real starting point, a clear and honest picture of where their body is right now. From there we can set goals that make sense, track changes the scale will miss, and adjust when something is not working.

Whether you are recovering from an injury, chasing a performance goal, or simply want to understand your body better, the InBody gives us something real to build from.

Ask about adding a scan to your next visit.

^{Come walk with CORE this month}

^{Every month I step away from the clinic and take the health conversation outside. Walk with a Doc is exactly what it sounds like: we start with one short health topic, then walk together at whatever pace feels good. You can ask questions, meet people in the community, and get some fresh air. No agenda, no gear, no pressure. It is one of my favorite things I do all month and I would love to see you there.}

^{Next walk: Wednesday, April 15th at 12PM}
📍 ^{Community Park South (parking lot between John Street and Race Street, near the dog park)}

Got a question about recovery, movement, or wellness? I’d love to hear from you.