Basketball Injuries

Basketball Injuries
Basketball is an ideal sport for building cardiovascular fitness through continuous running. Repeated starting, stopping, and jumping motions also increase muscle strength in the lower legs. Basketball involves people of all different skill levels it thereby opens the door to may overuse and trauma injuries. Overuse injuries are caused by repetitive stress, as seen in Patellar Tendinitis “jumper’s knee,” — pain in the tendon just below the kneecap. Another overuse injury is achilles tendinitis, a tendon injury connecting the muscles in the back of the calf to the heel bone causing pain in the back of the leg just above the heel. Rotator cuff injuries are frequent, with painful inflammation from repetitive overhead extensions like shooting baskets.

Basketball trauma injuries are caused by forceful injury...jammed fingers, ligament injuries, broken fingers, muscle pulls or tears. Ankle sprains are very common from excessive outward rolling of the foot when jumping and possibly landing on another player’s foot. Ankle ligaments can be stretched and torn in these contact injuries. Player-to-player collisions account for 79.8 percent of contact injuries and 34.9 percent of all injuries. The majority of injuries occur within the 3-point line, due to the high player concentration in that area of the court. Regardless of their position, players who suffered knee, elbow, shoulder, hand and lower spine/pelvis injuries are at significant risk of repeat injuries to those areas.

Knee injuries are often the most serious for basketball players with its frequent reoccurance and most severe pain and damage. Torn ligaments, meniscus tears, and ACL tears require players to rehabilitate themselves more thoroughly before returning to competitive play.

Common Basketball Injuries—Jumper’s Knee • Achilles Tendinitis • Ankle sprains • Knee sprains • Meniscus tears • ACL injuries • Shin Splint • Stress fractures •

Susceptible Injury Areas—Knees • Spine/pelvis • Foot • Ankle • Lower leg • Shoulder • Rotator cuff • Fingers