Basketball Injuries

Common Basketball Injuries

Ankle Injuries

Ankle Sprain
A common injury among basketball players. A sprain is stretching and tearing of ligaments. The most common damage done in an ankle sprain is to the Anterior talofibula (ATFL) ligament. In addition to the ligament damage you could have damaged tendons as well....more

Achilles Tendinitis
Achillies tendinitis is common in basketball due to the eccentric forces through the tendon from jumping and landing. Achillies tendinitis can be the result of overuse or follow a partial tear or rupture.....more

Knee Injuries

Patella Tendinitis (Jumpers Knee)
A common overuse injury in basketball resulting in pain on a point at the bottom of the kneecap or patella. The patella tendon (or ligament as it is sometimes called) connects the kneecap to tibia bone. Under extreme stresses such as those involved in jumping a partial rupture can occur......more

Knee Cartilage Injuries
Damage to the cartilage meniscus in the knee can result from jumping and pivoting or can be the result of overuse. Injury can be to the medial meniscus (inside) or the lateral meniscus (outside). The medial meniscus is often damaged with a bad medial meniscus injury.....more

Knee Ligament Injuries
Caused by knee rotation from pivoting, changing direction, decelerating, landing off balance or impact from another player. The lateral ligament, medial ligament anterior cruciate or posterior cruciate can be injured or a combination of the above.

Leg Injuries

Hamstring strain
A tear of the hamstring muscle at the back of the thigh. Thought to be more common in basketball players who fail to warm up properly or do not stretch adequately. Sometimes excessive quadriceps training to enable higher jumping can lead to an imbalance between the quads and hamstrings.....more

Shin Splints
Shin splints is a general name given for pain in the lower leg or shin. A common cause is periostitis or inflammation of the periostium or sheath surrounding the tibia (shin bone). It is an overuse injury and can be brought on in basketball players by a sudden increase in training levels, training on hard surfaces or running on the toes. Biomechanical problems of the foot such as over-pronation can also be a factor...more

Injury Prevention

Injury prevention strategies are very similar in most sports, although variations relating to protective equipment and conditioning will be present. the following is a simple guide to help you to avoid injury:

Warm-up

A warm-up is a vital part of injury prevention in every sport. It also helps to prepare you mentally and physcially. Warm-ups should get the heart rate up to increase the flow of blood around the body, in preparation for more strenous activity. It should also warm and stretch the muscles to ensure they are working to their optimum and do not sustain an injury due to being cold and inflexible.

A warm-up should consist of a minimum of 5 minutes cardio, pulse-raising exercise such as jogging, cycling, skipping etc. This should be followed by dynamic stretches. These have more recently replaced the use of static stretches. They include drills such as running with high knees, heels to bum and cariocas. This should be performed for a minimum of 5 minutes, up to a maximum of 20 minutes, with movements gradually becoming larger and faster. This is preferable to static stretching as it keeps the body warmer and heart rate higher, and more resembles the type of movements which are required in most sports.

Protection

Wearing the right kind of protective equipment is vital to avoiding injury in basketball. Elbow and knee pads are the most common form of protective wear as are padded shorts.

Rest

Resting is an important part of any athletes training program! Physiological changes within the cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems in our bodies, occur when we are at rest. Overtraining often results in injuries due to fatigue causing poor technique and overuse type injuries. If you feel at all unwell, tired or in pain, you should rest until better.

Training

In order to play in the higher levels of any sport, training is vitally important. Training not only the cardiovascular and muscular systems but also techniques and tactics are required to make sure the body is strong, coordinated and flexible as well as the mind being prepared and focused to name but a few.

Nutrition and Hydration
Proper nutrition is important. A bad diet will prevent you from recovering from training sessions making you more prone to injury. A balanced diet is what you should aim for:

• Carbohydrate is important for refueling muscles
• Protein rebuilds muscles
• If you become dehydrated then less blood will flow through muscles. The muscles will be more prone to injury
• Vitamins and minerals are required for a number of reasons related to recovery

Much of what is discussed above should be part of your sporting routine. A biomechanical analysis can help identify possible injury risks. Orthotic devices can help. Also an assessment from a sports therapist or specialist can identify weak areas and possible injury risks. A course of exercises specific to your needs can give you the best chance of avoiding injury.