Basketball Injuries: Most Common Types, Risks & Precautions

Basketball Injuries: Most Common, Risks, Types & Precautions

Basketball Injuries: Most Common, Risks, Types & Precautions

Injuries are common in sports especially the sport that demands more athleticism like Basketball.  Some of the talented players have suffered devasting injuries that ended their career. Injuries in sports are always [painful and many players have been nagging with injuries throughout their career. Basketball nowadays has become more athletic-oriented and injuries are becoming quite normal. Physio’s are working day and night with the players in order to avoid injuries and also finding new safety guards every time to save the players from injuries. Apart from twisting, turning during playing basketball has become an injury prone sports these days due to direct physical contact with opposing players.

With the game that is fast paced, injuries are one of the common issues these days. in recent research figure out that nearly 1.6 million injuries are happening in basketball every year. In order to stay away from injuries maintaining fitness is one of the important things for any basketball player. You have to hit gyms regularly to make your bones and muscles stronger. Constant practices along with skill set will help you to stay away from injuries. If you got injured then you have to find ways to overcome and get rid of those injuries as early as possible. Here are the lists of most common basketball injuries that can happen in basketball and ways to prevent them:

Foot/Ankle Injuries

Ankle Injuries in Basketball

In fast-paced sports like basketball foot and ankle injuries are the worst thing to happen in the player’s career. Sometimes it costs them heavily which leads to end their career midway.  It is one of the most common injuries happen for any basketball player. Be it a rolling an ankle, accidentally stepping in or get hit by the ball these injuries will bring restless in player’s life. Players who are often tall and having big body weight are often subjected to these kinds of injuries.  Basketball often demands constant jumping and running which causes a considerable amount of stress to feet.

Causes

The foot/ankle injury often leads to a fracture in foot bones and also causes bacterial infections like osteomyelitis and sometimes it also leads to the career-threatening navicular stress fracture.

Prevention

It is all about support when it comes to preventing foot and ankle injuries. Wearing the right footwear often reduces the problem of suffering from these kinds of injuries because proper shoes can prevent you from slipping on the court and also provides better support to your ankle. Wearing athletic tap will also prevent you from these kinds of injuries.

Hip/Thigh Injuries

Thigh Injuries in Basketball

As mentioned earlier basketball is a sport that demands more athleticism and fitness. The player needs to run, jump, pivot and rebound throughout the entire match which causes an enormous amount of stress to legs and hips which opens to a variety of injuries. Hip strains and brushes can occur on the court and sometimes it extends to tearing of muscles and ligaments. This is mainly happening when an opponent player striking player’s thigh muscles can lead to these kinds of issues.  This injury will also bring great impact to a player’s career and sometimes he/she can’t able to regain the sublime fitness he has got in the past.

Causes

Mainly common bruising to hip and thigs will happen due to this but sometimes it will be led to quadriceps tendinopathy.

Treatment

Initial treatment for those players who suffer from thig and hip injuries is rest and ice compression. After the reports based on the severity of the injury can go with surgeries and physical therapies.

Prevention

Proper stretching and warm-ups are the major things you need to be done before heading towards match day because it will make your muscles more flexible and stronger.

Knee Injuries

Knee Injuries in Basketball

Knee injuries are also common thing will happen to basketball injuries for a player because he keeps on running and jumping during the most part of his playing days. patellofemoral pain syndrome is the most common thing that occurs for a basketball player as far as knee injury is concerned. Pain causes when kneecap (patella) meets the thigh bone (femur). The pain mainly happens due to the excessive pressure in joints which will subsequently affect the joint surface behind the knee cap.

Causes

Not often every time the knee injuries will cause career threatening issues but sometimes problems like torn ACL will make your career cut-short.

Treatment

Taking proper rest during the treatment by avoiding activities that will cause pain and after the occurrence of injury ice compression along with elevation will bring you better results. once the inflammation got reduced doing corrections in the biochemical imbalance is the best step that needs to be taken in the process of full recovery. Physical therapy is the best way to get rid of these kinds of issues.

Prevention

Strengthening leg muscles will help you build better support for your knees and this will happen when you hit the gym regularly. Doing a proper stretch and warm-ups will also help you to stay away from these kinds of injuries. Using proper knee pads and doing activities that strengthens your knee is also the best way to stay away from these kinds of injuries.

Wrist and Hand Injuries

Hand Injuries in Basketball

These injuries also often occur to basketball players because hand and wrist are involving in ball passing and catching and also attempts made to seal the ball. These kinds of basketball injuries often happen due to mishandling of ball in fingers instead of landing in the palm of your hand. The best part is these kinds of injuries are not career threatening and the player can resume gaming with full fitness. Studies figure out that nearly 11% of the injuries in basketball often happens in wrists and hand.

Causes

This kind of injuries often leads to jammed fingers and wrists.

Treatment

Taking proper rest during the time of treatment is the best way to get cured easily. Surgeries are the best treatment available these days to get rid of these kinds of issues.

Prevention

Keeping your hands and wrists healthier and stronger are the best ways to stay away from these types of injuries and also make sure you are taking the ball in hand instead of the finger which will also help you to stay away from injuries.

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