It is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities, and has a number of health benefits which include improved cardiovascular health, muscle strengthening, increased agility, and stress reduction. It's a full-body workout that can burn calories and contribute to weight management, and as it fosters social interaction, can also boost mental well-being.

As the sport rises sharply in popularity, so does the number of injuries with the most common musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries including:

• Shoulder: Padel shoulder/rotator cuff injuries or impingement, strains and tendonitis
• Elbow: Padel/tennis elbow or epicondylitis and bursitis
• Wrist: Tendinitis, sprains and carpal tunnel syndrome
• Knee: Patellar tendinopathy, meniscus tears and ligament sprains
• Calf: Padel/tennis leg or medial gastrocnemius tear and strains
• Foot: Plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains and achilles tendonitis

Glossy Magazine Director, Salim, recently injured his right shoulder whilst playing at the Padel Club Wilmslow, and was recommended by a friend to see Consultant Shoulder Surgeon, Mr Matt Ravenscroft at the OrthTeam Centre.

Salim says: "I was in a lot of pain and struggling to do everyday tasks like dressing and driving, due to injuring my shoulder playing padel.

"My friend had been successfully treated by Mr Matt Ravenscroft previously, and when I met Matt, I was impressed by how professional and knowledgeable he was, and he explained my options in a clear and concise manner."

Salim was suffering from shoulder impingement or impingement syndrome, which occurs when your rotator cuff rubs against the top of your shoulder, creating pressure that irritates muscles and tendons. Overhead activity of the shoulder, especially repeated activity, like padel or tennis is a risk factor for shoulder impingement.

Mr Matt Ravenscroft explains: "Salim had the typical symptoms of shoulder impingement, characterised by pain to the side of the shoulder, which worsened when the arm was taken out to the side, and also pain at night time in bed.

"In order to understand what the cause of the impingement was, I examined his right shoulder and requested an MRI scan."

The MRI scan looks at the state of the rotator cuff tendons which can rub on the shoulder giving the symptoms. It's essential to know that the tendons aren’t damaged or torn, if they are, then a surgical route is more usual. 

"As Salim’s tendons were okay, then the options to help him get back onto the padel court were: Physiotherapy, a steroid injection to the irritated area, and if that fails to settle the symptoms, then we can consider a surgical option to make more space for the tendons to move. In Salim’s case, the best course of treatment was an ultrasound-guided steroid injection which worked very well, and he is back on the padel court without any restrictions."

Salim adds: "Following my steroid injection, I’m glad to say that I’m now pain-free and have once again been able to pick up my padel racket! I received superb care from beginning to end, a truly first class-service - I can’t thank Mr Matt Ravenscroft and the OrthTeam Centre enough."

Whatever your padel injury, we have a MSK consultant that can help. For more information or to book a consultation, please call 0161 447 6888.