It’s all fun and games until a pickleball player winds up in the hospital with a broken hip — or until health insurance premiums start to skyrocket.
As the pickleball craze continues to sweep the nation, the racket/paddle sport could rack up health care costs as high as $250 million to $500 million in 2023, according to statistics from the New-York based investment bank UBS.
Led by executive director Andrew Mok, CFA, the Wall Street analysts projected the cost increase soon after UnitedHealth Group, the largest provider of health care insurance in the U.S., announced a significant increase in hip and knee surgeries.
On the heels of UnitedHealth’s June 14 announcement, numerous health insurance companies saw their stock prices slide.
"While we generally think of exercise as positively impacting health outcomes, the 'can do' attitude of today's seniors can pose greater risk in other areas such as sports injuries, leading to a greater number of orthopedic procedures," the UBS analysts said, per a Bloomberg report.
Pickleball, a hybrid of tennis, badminton and ping pong, was declared the fastest-growing sport earlier this year by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which is based in Maryland.
Participation doubled in 2022 and skyrocketed more than 158% over a three-year period, the SFIA stated on its website.
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As participation has increased, so have the injuries.
Between 2010 and 2019, there were nearly 29,000 pickleball injuries among players age 60 and older, according to a 2021 study published in the journal Injury Epidemiology.
The majority of those injuries were strains/sprains, fractures and contusions, with most of them caused by slipping, tripping, falling or diving.
Another 2020 study published in The Journal of Emergency Medicine analyzed pickleball injuries that resulted in emergency room visits between 2001 and 2017.
More than 90% of the patients were 50 or older.
Again, strains, sprains and fractures were the most common injuries.
"Because of the nature of moving your body to lunge at a ball, potential injuries can include pulling a muscle, breaking or spraining an ankle or wrist, or falling and scraping your skin," Dr. Laura Purdy, a board-certified family medicine physician in Brentwood, Tennessee, told Fox News Digital.
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The uptick in injuries is likely attributed to the sport’s quick rise in popularity rather than any inherent dangers, Purdy said.
"With more people playing, more injuries are being reported," she explained.
"The sport itself is not more dangerous than other team sports, but as with any activity, it’s important to listen to your body and know your limits."
It’s important to prep your body before engaging in physical activity, Purdy said.
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"Stretch before playing and make sure your muscles are loose," the doctor recommended. "Stay hydrated and take breaks as needed."
Added Purdy, "Listen to your body if you are injured, feel fatigued or need a break."
