You’ve probably felt it after a few weeks of padel: a nagging ache in your elbow after a session, or a tight shoulder that wasn’t there before. Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK. With that growth comes a predictable rise in a specific set of injuries. Most are overuse patterns rather than one-off accidents, and most are very treatable if caught early.

It’s easy to write these off as “just part of learning the game.” But the repetitive volleys, sudden direction changes, and glass-wall rebounds that make padel so addictive also put real strain on your joints and soft tissue. At MG Osteopathy and Sports Injury Clinic in Hackney, we see this pattern regularly among local players. It tends to show up either when someone’s new to the sport, or when they’ve recently ramped up how often they play.

Common Symptoms

Elbow pain, particularly on the outside of the joint (often called “Tennis Elbow“)
Shoulder ache or stiffness, especially after overhead smashes
Lower back tightness after a session
Ankle rolling or instability during quick direction changes
Knee soreness after repeated lunging or pivoting
Wrist strain from miss-hit volleys or a too-tight grip

What It Does / Why It Matters

Padel places repetitive, asymmetric load on one side of the body. Every shot is played with the same arm, so the muscles and tendons around that elbow, shoulder, and wrist absorb far more repetitive strain than in a sport with more varied movement. Over weeks, this repetitive loading can outpace the tissue’s ability to recover between sessions.

The court itself adds another layer of strain. Padel’s enclosed glass walls keep the ball in play longer than in tennis. That means more sudden stops, lateral shuffles, and lunges per match. This is where ankle, knee, and lower back injuries tend to originate — not from the racket work, but from how the body decelerates and changes direction on a hard court surface.

What Causes It

Repetitive Volley and Smash Motion

The overhead smash and repeated forehand volleys load the same tendons around the elbow and shoulder shot after shot. This repetition is the main driver behind “padel elbow” and shoulder overuse pain.

Sudden Lateral Movement

Padel’s stop-start, side-to-side movement pattern places sudden stress on the ankles and knees. This is especially true when a player changes direction faster than their joints are conditioned for.

Under-prepared Muscles in New Players

Many people come to padel from a sedentary routine or a different sport entirely. Without the specific shoulder, forearm, or hip strength the movements demand, early sessions become a common point of injury.

Grip and Technique

An overly tight grip or mistimed contact on volleys transmits more shock up through the wrist and elbow than a relaxed, well-timed swing. Over repeated sessions, this compounds strain that would otherwise stay minor.

How Osteopathy and Physiotherapy Help

Assessment

Your practitioner will look at how you move grip, swing mechanics, footwork, and joint mobility. The goal isn’t just finding where it hurts, but identifying what’s driving the strain in the first place.

Manual Therapy

Soft tissue work around the elbow, shoulder, and forearm to ease tendon strain
Joint mobilisation for stiff shoulders, hips, or ankles limiting movement
Targeted treatment for lower back tightness from repeated lateral loading

Rehabilitation

Strengthening exercises for the forearm and shoulder to build tolerance for repetitive shots
Ankle and knee stability work to support quick direction changes
A gradual return-to-play plan so you’re not going straight back into full-intensity sessions

Practical Steps You Can Take Today

Warm up your forearm and shoulder: a few minutes of dynamic stretching before you step on court reduces strain on cold tendons.
Check your grip size and tension: a grip that’s too small or held too tightly increases shock transfer into your elbow.
Build up session frequency gradually: if you’re new to padel, avoid jumping straight to playing several times a week — give your tendons time to adapt.
Stretch your calves and ankles: better ankle mobility reduces the load transferred up into your knees and lower back during quick lateral movement.

When Should You Seek Help

Most padel-related aches settle with rest and the steps above, but seek help sooner if you notice:

Sudden, sharp pain during a specific shot that doesn’t ease off
Swelling or visible instability in a joint after a fall or twist
Pain that persists or worsens despite rest
Numbness or tingling down the arm or leg

Padel Injuries at MG Osteopathy – Hackney and Islington

If padel has started to leave you with more aches than it’s worth, osteopathy and physiotherapy can help. Rather than just treating the symptom after each session, we look at what’s actually driving the strain. Our team at MG Osteopathy and Sports Injury Clinic, based on Eagle Wharf Road in Hackney and serving players across Islington, works with local players managing exactly this kind of overuse pattern.

📞 Any questions? Call us: +44 7809 575299

FAQ

What is “padel elbow”? It’s a form of elbow tendon strain caused by the sport’s repetitive volleys and smashes. It’s similar in pattern to tennis elbow, though it can develop faster given how often the ball stays in play.

Can I keep playing padel with an ache, or should I stop? It depends on the severity. Many patients can keep playing at a reduced intensity while addressing the underlying strain, but persistent or worsening pain is a sign to get it assessed rather than push through.

How soon can osteopathy or physiotherapy help after an injury? Many patients notice improvement within a few sessions, though this varies depending on how long the strain has been building and how it responds to initial treatment.

Do I need to be a serious player to get injured? No — new players are often more at risk, since the body hasn’t yet built the specific strength and movement patterns padel demands.