Can GAE Relieve Pickleball Knee Pain?

As one of the hottest sports among older adults, many athletes are finding it harder to get into matches because of pickleball knee pain. Now, this game is supposed to be gentler on your joints than sports like tennis or running. But if you have osteoarthritis in your knees, staying active on the court can be a real challenge. And that's where GAE, or genicular artery embolization, can help!

What Causes Pickleball Knee Pain?

According to Paddletek, there are 36.5 million pickleball players in the US. And, of those players, more than 50% are over the age of 55, while more than 30% are 65 and older. Now, staying active at that age can certainly increase your risk for certain knee injuries, including muscle and ligament strains. (Your risk will increase dramatically if you already have limited mobility in your joints.)

Stretching before and after a game; wearing supportive foot gear; and listening to your body can help avoid sport-related injury. But if your pickleball knee pain is due to osteoarthritis, you may find relief from a different source: the GAE alternative knee replacement procedure.

That was true for 80-year-old Patrick Shruben, who recently discussed his 2021 GAE knee procedure with UCLA Health. The avid athlete wanted relief from pickleball knee pain, but “did not want to sit in pain for months after surgery.” So, after some research, he underwent GAE, and says, "My treatment was pretty amazing. I walked without knee pain the next day.”

Even better? For those wondering about the efficacy of GAE relief,  Shruben is still going strong, two years after his procedure. Today, he says, “Here I am at 80, and I’m doing things my own children can’t do.”

GAE Knee Procedure at the Texas Knee Institute

Ready to put pickleball knee pain in your rearview mirror? Want to relieve osteoarthritis knee pain without surgery? Click here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointmentClick here to request an appointment. When you come into the office, we'll review your candidacy for GAE and make personalized treatment recommendations.