Padel is growing fast in the US, and many new players come from tennis, pickleball or no racquet sport at all. It's easy to learn, social and addictive, which is exactly why so many players go from one match a week to four or five in a short time. That's usually when the body starts to complain.
Most padel injuries aren't accidents. They're overload injuries: tennis elbow, shoulder pain, lower back pain and knee discomfort that show up gradually and tend to come back even after you rest. The reason is usually not the painful spot itself, but the way your whole body works together to hit the ball.
Why padel injuries keep coming back: the kinetic chain
Every padel shot is a chain reaction: your feet push against the ground, your hips and trunk rotate, your shoulder blade stabilizes, and only then does the energy travel through your shoulder, elbow and wrist to the racket.
When one link in that chain doesn't do its job, like stiff hips, a trunk that doesn't rotate well or a shoulder blade that doesn't stabilize, another link has to compensate. In padel, the ones that usually pay the price are the elbow, the shoulder and the lower back. Resting calms the symptom, but if the chain doesn't change, the pain often returns as soon as you're back on court.
The good news: working on the whole chain not only reduces your injury risk, it also makes your shots more powerful and efficient.
1. Warm up the whole chain, not just your arm
A few swings and some stretching aren't enough. A good 8–10 minute warm-up prepares every link:
- Hips and ankles (2 min): leg swings and lunges with a trunk rotation.
- Upper back (2 min): standing rotations or “open book” on the floor.
- Shoulder blades (2 min): band pull-aparts or wall slides.
- Footwork (2 min): split steps and lateral shuffles.
- Progressive shots: start soft and increase intensity little by little.
2. Protect your elbow by hitting with your hips and trunk
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is one of the most common padel injuries. It usually appears when the forearm does work that should come from the rest of the body: arm-only shots, a tight grip, or a racket that's too heavy for your current strength.
What helps: let your hips and trunk start the rotation, relax your grip between shots, and strengthen your forearm and wrist gradually (for example, slow wrist extensions with a light weight).
3. Keep your shoulder blade in the game
Overheads, bandejas and víboras put a lot of demand on the shoulder. If the upper back is stiff or the shoulder blade doesn't stabilize, the shoulder joint ends up absorbing most of the load.
What helps: thoracic mobility work (rotations, extensions over a foam roller) and exercises that activate the muscles around the shoulder blade, like band pull-aparts, rows and wall slides.
4. Train your core for rotation, not for crunches
In padel, the core's job is to transfer forcefrom your legs to your arms and to control rotation. Lower back pain often shows up when the hips don't rotate enough and the lower back tries to make up for it.
What helps: anti-rotation exercises (like the Pallof press), side planks, and hip hinge work to strengthen your glutes, combined with hip mobility.
5. Prepare your knees for stops, lunges and changes of direction
Padel is full of short sprints, sudden stops and deep lunges to reach low balls. Knees handle this much better when the hips and thighs are strong and the ankles move well.
What helps: squats, lunges and single-leg exercises (like step-downs or single-leg deadlifts), plus some ankle mobility. Good padel shoes with lateral support also make a difference.
6. Manage your load
One of the most common patterns in amateur players is increasing the number of matches too quickly. Your tendons need time to adapt.
What helps: increase your playing time gradually, include at least one or two short strength sessions a week (20 minutes is enough), and give your body time to recover, which means sleeping well too.
When to see a professional
If pain lasts more than one or two weeks, gets worse while you play, wakes you up at night, or comes with swelling or numbness, it's a good idea to see a physical therapist. The earlier you address it, the easier it usually is to fix.
The bottom line
Staying injury-free in padel isn't about avoiding the game, it's about preparing your body for it. When the whole chain works together, you hit harder, move better and spend more time on court.
About the author
Isabel Rencoret is a Chilean sports physical therapist and the founder of Just Muv, a padel training app that helps players improve their physical performance and prevent injuries with short routines designed around the kinetic chain.
This article is general information and is not a substitute for advice from a medical professional who has examined you. The views are the author's own.