Basketball Season: Injuries and Treatment

Fall is here, but you’re already thinking about March Madness. Why? Because you’re a basketball player! You’re just starting your sport for the season, and one of the best things you can do is stay ahead of potential injuries that nah you during the season. The National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) issues a report every year detailing the most common injuries, how they occur, and how to treat them. Knowing the most common injuries can help you know how to stay ahead of the curve.

As you might imagine, foot and ankle injuries account for the majority of injuries. Basketball players can easily roll an ankle during all those moves on the court. As a player, your ankles and feet must provide strong support. Of course, you need great shoes, but there are strengthening and stretching measures you can take before you ever hit the court. Working on ankle mobility is key as well to make sure your ankles are ready for the extra pressures on the court.

It may not seem that obvious, but basketball players also suffer hip and thigh injuries, caused by all the running, pivoting, foot planting, and jumping motions that place tremendous strain on the hip joints and leg muscles. We see lots of overextension injuries to muscles and ligaments. While it’s difficult to prevent contact injuries, proper stretching and flexibility are key for motion-related injuries. Do you stretch out your hips before you hit the court?

Knee injuries are also quite common on the basketball court. We see lots of sprains and strains to the ligaments and tendons in the knee. Again, strengthening your knee in all directions means that your knees are a better support structure for you on the court. Knee braces are a good idea too, particularly if you have weak areas. The Cincinnati Sports Medicine Institute has isolated 3 sports that account for 80% of all ACL non-contact injuries and Women’s basketball is one of those top 3 sports. The Sports Metric program can isolate participants at risk for injury. Thankfully, there is a way to train out of these high-risk categories.

Fatigue plays a role in these injuries as well. NATA reports that over half of all injuries occur in the second half of the game, so it is really important to keep yourself in top shape.

Fortunately, our Knoxville chiropractor, Dr. Bert, is here for you. We have several techniques that will benefit you:

• Functional Movement Screen (FMS) to analyze your movement patterns to look at body asymmetry and functional limitations
• Active Release Technique (ART): a hands-on soft-tissue technique for treating repetitive strain conditions and cumulative trauma disorders
• E.L.D.O.A Training: specific stretching techniques for releasing physical tension in the myofascia and increasing space between joints and discs in the spine
• Personal Trainers Pat Hickey and Emily Harbin: help athletes become stronger, faster, and more agile with experience in various training protocols

If you’ve just left too much on the court, we have deep tissue massage and sports massage, too! So, before you hit the hoops, hit our office. You’ll be better on the court because of it!