Running, Golf, and Pickleball: Common Injuries in These Popular Sports and How to Fix Them for Good

Pain Shouldn’t Be Part of Your Sport

You’re not lazy. You’re not out of shape. You’re not just getting older.

You’re probably just dealing with the wrong kind of pain.

At Peak Performance Sports Therapy in Blue Ash, Ohio, we work with runners, golfers, and pickleball players every day who have been told to stretch more, rest more, or just “get used to it.” But that advice misses the bigger picture. If you’re consistently hurting during or after activity, something is off in how your body moves, loads, or recovers.

Whether you’re pounding pavement, perfecting your swing, or chasing a pickleball across the court, your sport demands more than just strength or endurance. It demands coordination, mobility, and smart recovery. Without those, even the most dedicated athlete ends up with chronic pain.

The good news? Most sports injuries are preventable, and even long-standing issues are fixable with the right approach.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

The most common injuries in running, golf, and pickleball
Why these injuries happen in the first place
Practical, science-backed solutions that we use every day to help clients in the Blue Ash community get back to what they love

Let’s dig into what your pain is trying to tell you and what you can do about it.

Common Running Injuries and How to Fix Them

1. Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)

What it feels like:
A dull, achy pain around or behind the kneecap that worsens with stairs, squatting, downhill running, or sitting for long periods.

Why it happens:
Runner’s knee is often the result of poor tracking of the kneecap due to muscular imbalances. Weak glutes, tight quads, collapsed arches, or overstriding can all cause excessive stress on the knee joint. If your hip doesn’t stabilize well during loading, your knee pays the price.

Our treatment strategy:

Manual therapy to release tight quads and lateral structures like the IT band
Glute activation exercises and hip control drills
Real-time gait analysis to improve stride mechanics
Strengthening the posterior chain to reduce reliance on the knee joint

2. Achilles Tendinopathy

What it feels like:
Morning stiffness and soreness in the Achilles tendon. Pain worsens during running, especially when pushing off or running uphill.

Why it happens:
The Achilles takes on a tremendous amount of force during running. When there’s tightness in the calves, poor shock absorption from the foot and ankle, or rapid increases in training volume, the tendon becomes irritated and inflamed.

Evidence-based treatment at Peak Performance includes:

Eccentric heel drop exercises to promote tendon healing
Shockwave therapy to stimulate collagen remodeling and reduce chronic inflammation
Myofascial release for the calves and foot intrinsics
Footwear assessment and gait retraining for long-term prevention

Common Golf Injuries and How to Fix Them

1. Low Back Pain

What it feels like:
Dull or sharp pain in the lower back that worsens after a round, often more pronounced on one side and triggered by rotational movements.

Why it happens:
The golf swing requires powerful rotational force. Without proper mobility in the hips and thoracic spine, golfers tend to compensate by overusing the lumbar spine, which leads to repetitive strain and dysfunction.

How we fix it:

Thoracic spine mobility drills to restore rotational capacity
Core stabilization and anti-rotation exercises
Swing mechanics consultation with golf-specific rehab
Manual therapy for soft tissue restrictions in the hip and spine

2. Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)

What it feels like:
Pain on the inside of the elbow, particularly when gripping or flexing the wrist. It often develops gradually over time.

Why it happens:
Repetitive swinging and gripping place stress on the forearm flexor tendons. Overuse, poor swing mechanics, or gripping too tightly can irritate the tendon attachment at the elbow.

Treatment options include:

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
Eccentric strengthening for the forearm flexors
Wrist mobility and grip strength programming
Shockwave therapy for stubborn or chronic cases

Common Pickleball Injuries and How to Fix Them

1. Plantar Fasciitis

What it feels like:
Stabbing pain in the heel, especially with the first steps in the morning or after sitting. The pain worsens with time spent on your feet.

Why it happens:
Pickleball’s stop-and-start movement patterns on hard courts, combined with inadequate footwear or foot mechanics, can lead to excessive strain on the plantar fascia. Weak arches and tight calves only increase the problem.

Our full-spectrum treatment approach:

Hands-on release of the plantar fascia, calves, and foot muscles
Arch-strengthening and intrinsic foot muscle training
Education on proper warm-up and footwear selection
Shockwave therapy for persistent heel pain that has not responded to conservative care

2. Shoulder Impingement

What it feels like:
A pinching sensation in the shoulder when reaching overhead, especially during serves or smashes. May include loss of range of motion and weakness.

Why it happens:
Overhead activity without proper shoulder mechanics leads to compression of the tendons under the acromion. Poor scapular control, tight chest muscles, or weak rotator cuff stabilizers are usually the root cause.

How we treat it:

Postural rebalancing to improve thoracic spine extension
Rotator cuff and scapular stability training
Massage and trigger point therapy for the pecs, lats, and traps
Education on warm-up and movement prep strategies before play

Myth-Busting: “I Should Just Rest It”

This is one of the most common and most damaging pieces of advice active people receive. While rest may reduce symptoms temporarily, it does absolutely nothing to address the root dysfunction. In fact, prolonged rest can lead to deconditioning, stiffness, and a higher risk of reinjury when you return to activity.

Pain that returns every time you swing, run, or play is not a normal part of getting older. It’s not just a tight muscle. It’s your body asking for better movement quality, stronger support systems, and more thoughtful preparation.

At Peak Performance, we work with athletes who have been “resting” for months only to find the pain comes back within minutes of returning to their sport. That cycle stops when you stop treating the symptoms and start fixing the cause.

Why Local Matters: Blue Ash’s Trusted Sports Therapy Experts

We’re not a big-box PT mill or a passive chiropractic clinic that sends you home with a handout. At Peak Performance Sports Therapy, every session is one-on-one, and every treatment plan is designed for you, your sport, and your specific goals.

Whether you play pickleball at Summit Park, run through Sharon Woods, or work on your drive at Blue Ash Golf Course, we understand the movement demands of your sport. Our therapists take the time to assess your mechanics, identify breakdowns, and build a smarter rehab and performance plan that actually works.

We combine manual therapy, corrective exercise, performance rehab, and education so you can return to your sport stronger, more confident, and better equipped to stay pain-free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I’ve already tried stretching and icing. What makes your approach different?
We go beyond symptom relief. We assess movement patterns, identify dysfunctional loading, and correct the cause. Stretching might relieve tension, but it doesn’t fix poor mechanics, weakness, or inflammation from overuse.

Q: How soon can I return to play?
That depends on the severity and cause of your issue. Some people see significant relief within 1 to 3 sessions. Others need a longer plan. Our goal is always to keep you as active as possible throughout recovery.

Q: Do you accept insurance?
Yes, we accept most insurance plans and also offer affordable self-pay and performance packages. We’ll walk you through all options during your first visit.

Q: Can I just get a massage?
Yes, but we recommend starting with an evaluation. That way, we can target the massage to your needs and incorporate it into a plan that actually gets results.

Ready to Fix the Pain and Level Up Your Game?

If you’re tired of chasing symptoms and ready to solve the root issue, we’re here to help. Don’t let pain force you to give up the activities you love. With the right plan, you don’t have to choose between performance and recovery. You can have both.

Book your session at Peak Performance Sports Therapy in Blue Ash today. Whether you need pain relief, movement retraining, or a long-term performance upgrade, we’ve got the expertise to help you move better and stay in the game.

Still unsure what’s causing your pain? Reach out for a free consultation call with one of our specialists. Let’s figure it out together.

Pain-free movement is possible. Let’s get started.