Common Padel Injuries (And How to Prevent Them)
Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK, and for good reason.
- It’s social.
- It’s competitive.
- It feels accessible, even if you haven’t played racket sports before.
But with its rapid growth has come a sharp rise in injuries, particularly among people who are otherwise fit, active, and used to training regularly.
At We Fix Feet, we’re seeing more padel-related injuries each month, often from people who didn’t expect to be hurt while playing what feels like a “low-impact” sport.
The reality isthat padel places very specific demands on the body, and if those demands aren’t managed well, the risk of injury rises quickly.
Why Padel Injuries Are So Common
Padel combines elements of tennis, squash, and football-style movement, but without the preparation many players would normally do for a court-based sport.
Key demands include:
- Repeated lateral shuffles
- Sudden changes of direction
- Explosive starts and stops
- Rotational forces through the trunk and upper limb
- High repetition of similar movements
For many players, these stresses are new, even if they’re fit elsewhere.
Padel doesn’t just test fitness; it tests movement control under speed and fatigue.
The Most Common Lower Limb Padel Injuries
Heel and Foot Pain
One of the most common complaints we hear from padel players is heel pain.
Why?
- Repeated push-offs on a hard surface
- Quick deceleration forces through the foot
- Limited recovery time between sessions
Heel pain in padel is often linked to overload rather than acute injury, meaning it builds quietly before becoming persistent.
Achilles and Calf Strain
The stop-start nature of padel places repeated strain on the Achilles tendon and calf complex.
Risk increases when:
- Sessions become more frequent
- Warm-ups are rushed
- Fatigue alters movement patterns
These issues rarely come from one “bad movement”; they accumulate.
Knee Pain
Padel courts demand rapid directional changes.
If:
- Hip control is limited
- Foot mechanics don’t absorb force efficiently
- One side works harder than the other
The knee often becomes the point of stress.
This is especially common in players who already run, cycle, or train in straight lines.
Upper Limb Injuries Are Just as Common
While foot and lower limb issues often appear first, padel places heavy demands on the upper limb.
Elbow Pain (“Padel Elbow”)
Similar to tennis elbow, padel elbow develops through:
- Repetitive gripping
- High-frequency wrist movements
- Poor load distribution through the arm
It’s often made worse by:
- Equipment mismatch
- Fatigue
- Reduced shoulder or trunk contribution
Shoulder Pain
Padel involves frequent overhead and rotational movements.
Shoulder pain often arises when:
- The shoulder compensates for poor trunk rotation
- Movement timing is off
- Fatigue sets in late in sessions
Again, the issue is rarely strength alone, it’s coordination and load sharing.
Why Injuries Often Appear After You “Get Into It”
Many padel players feel fine for the first few weeks.
Injuries often appear when:
- Sessions increase from once to twice weekly
- Matches become more competitive
- Recovery time shortens
This is where overload injuries develop, not because the body can’t cope, but because it hasn’t adapted yet.
Prevention Isn’t About Playing Less
One of the biggest misconceptions is that injury prevention means cutting back.
For active people, prevention is about:
- Understanding where stress accumulates
- Improving how the load is absorbed
- Adjusting movement strategies before pain appears
This is where sports performance testing and biomechanical assessment add real value.
They help identify:
- Asymmetries
- Poor force distribution
- Fatigue-related breakdowns
Before they become injuries.
The Role of Performance Testing in Padel
Performance testing looks beyond symptoms.
It helps answer questions like:
- Why does pain always appear on the same side?
- Why does it flare after matches, not training?
- Why does rest help, but only temporarily?
Testing provides insight into how you move when it matters most.
Controlled Rehab and Load Management
When injuries do occur, returning too quickly or without proper progression increases the chance of recurrence.
Technologies such as microgravity treadmills allow clinicians to:
- Reduce load while maintaining movement quality
- Gradually reintroduce speed and intensity
- Protect healing tissues during return-to-play
This approach supports confidence and consistency, not just symptom relief.
Final Thought
Padel injuries are common but they’re not inevitable.
Most develop because the sport demands more than the body is prepared for at that moment.
Understanding those demands early allows players to:
- Train smarter
- Recover better
- Play longer without interruption
And for many, that insight makes all the difference.
