Basketball is one of the most played sports in the United States. Basketball is undeniably an essential part of American culture, from school competitions to NBA tournaments. As an intense sport with lots of movement, sports injuries are pretty common among basketball players.
Let’s look at the most common basketball injuries and what you can do about them.
The Most Common Basketball Injuries
Head Injuries
Head and face injuries are particularly dangerous for multiple reasons. Strong impacts to your head can cause your brain to collide with the inside of your skull. Your face also has multiple sensitive organs: the eyes, nose, and ears.
If you sustain a head injury, it’s critical to check if you have a concussion.
Below are the common symptoms of a concussion. If a player shows any of the following symptoms, seek medical assistance immediately:
- Ringing in the ears
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Nausea or vomiting
- Drowsiness
- Confusion
- Blurred vision
Muscle Strain
In any physical activity, it’s possible to overextend or push your muscles beyond what they can safely do. Placing too much stress on a muscle or stretching it too far can result in a muscle strain, in which your muscle fibers tear.
The primary symptom of a muscle strain is pain. You may also experience swelling, stiffness, tenderness, and weakness. While you have a strain, it’s best to avoid using that muscle, so it can heal.
Tendonitis
Tendonitis typically occurs due to repetitive movements. Like muscle strains, tendonitis typically causes pain, swelling, and weakness. However, tendonitis affects tendons — the connective tissues that attach bone to muscle.
Foot And Ankle Injuries
Running, pivoting, and cutting are fundamental basketball skills, so foot and ankle injuries aren’t unusual. There’s always the probability of accidentally getting stepped on or rolling your ankle.
Foot injuries are most often sprains resulting from a rolled or twisted ankle. Twisting your ankle too far pulls the connective tissues in your foot, causing them to tear or snap and resulting in a sprain. Sprains are similar to muscle strains, except they affect ligaments instead of muscles.
How To Prevent Basketball Injuries
An excellent way to prevent a sports injury is through training and preparation. Many injuries result from poor form, bad technique, or pushing too far beyond physical limits. Here are some tips for you to follow.
Warm Up
Warming up helps get your whole body ready for physical activity. It can help loosen your muscles and make them more flexible and less susceptible to being pulled.
Practice Your Form
The forms and techniques you learn in training are critical and optimize your performance. In addition to that, they’re usually the safest way to perform shoot, pass, or maneuver while in a game.
Improve Your Strength
Your bones support your body, but your muscles also play a part in that. Strengthening your muscles helps them stabilize your joints, allowing you to perform high-impact and high-intensity moves while decreasing the risk of damage to joints.
Use The Right Equipment
Basketball players don’t wear a lot of equipment, but it’s vital to wear the right gear when you play. Foot and ankle injuries are prevalent in basketball, so it’s best to wear appropriate footwear. Good basketball shoes will provide support around your ankle to stabilize it.
Athletic tape is also an option to help prevent muscles from extending beyond a safe range of motion.
Eat A Healthy Diet And Stay Hydrated
The food you eat can affect whether you sustain an injury or not in a game. Your body expends a significant amount of energy in a game, so it’s critical to eat enough and have the energy you need to play. It’s also vital to stay hydrated to ensure that all your body’s systems function optimally.
Not eating enough or being dehydrated can have multiple adverse effects on the body, such as causing migraines, nausea, and weakness. These can indirectly cause injuries during a game, especially if you push yourself too far.
Consult Your Sports Medicine Doctor
Your coach will be responsible for guiding you and the team on how to prevent sports injuries. Your coach will likely cover diet, exercise, pre-season physicals, etc. If you want to seek further medical guidance, you can visit a sports medicine doctor. Aside from injury prevention and specialized care for your injury, you can get more insights on how to enhance your performance.
If you do sustain a sports injury, don’t hesitate to seek the help of an orthopedic doctor to ensure your safety and recovery.
Reliable Treatment For A Sports Injury In Austin, TX
A sports medicine doctor can help prevent and treat basketball injuries. They are medical professionals who can help you improve your sports performance in the safest way possible.
Our excellent team here at All-star Orthopedics has an impressive track record in sports medicine. Whether you’re a pro or amateur basketball player, visiting a sports medicine doctor will benefit you.
Call us today at (512) 346-4933 or use our convenient online request form. Let’s work together to maximize your performance!
