Common Basketball Injuries

Common Basketball Injuries An inside look at the most common of basketball related injuries
By Pete Youngman
NUMEROUS PLAYER INJURIES occur as a result from the constant pounding and jarring night in and night out on the hardwood court. Studies done by my peers, other NBA athletic trainers, show that on average an NBA player runs four miles during a game which figures out to be 223 laps up and down the court. With this much time spent running, jumping, and side-stepping down the court, mishaps are destined to happen. Three of the most common injuries are ankle sprains, lower back strain, and patellar tendonitis.
Ankle injuries are among the most frequent suffered by NBA players and account for 25 percent of all athletic injuries. There are two types of ankle sprains. The most common involves injury to the lateral ligaments caused by supination and inversion of the foot and the latter involves the medial structures of the ankle. Inversion of the ankle usually occurs when a player comes down from jumping in the air onto another player's foot. Landing unevenly causes the foot to roll outward putting a great deal of stress on the anterior talofibular ligament.
Treating ankle sprains usually involves resting and taking pressure off the injured ligament, icing the ankle to relieve swelling, and elevating the leg above the heart. Trainers will usually tape the ankle to help prevent ankle sprains or the player will wear an ankle brace to help support the ligament. Isometric exercises and resistance training with rubber tubing are used to strengthen the ankle.
Lower back pain is also commonly suffered by basketball players. Among the general population 80 percent will sustain injury to the lower back at some time during their life. Running and jumping on the hardwood court produces much stress on the lower back even with well cushioned shoes. When a player comes down on the court from a jumpshot his knees and lower back or lumbar region absorb the shock. A majority of the players stand above six feet and may weigh between 200 and 300 pounds. This amount of weight may inflict a great deal of stress on the lower back. Lower back pain is usually caused by weakened abdominal muscles which assist the back muscles when lifting objects. If the abdominal muscles are weak and not conditioned, the lower back muscles will compensate for their weakness producing uncomfortable strain. Treatments for lower back strain include resting to alleviate the pressure on the lower lumbar region and heat compressions which loosen up the muscles and allow the back to heal. It is important that you always stretch your lower back after exercise. There are several abdominal and lower back workouts that can be done to help prevent back problems (please consult your physician for personal medical advice):
ABDOMINAL EXERCISES
1. Lying on your back with your knees bent, bring your shoulders up off the ground using your upper abdominal muscles. Always make sure that your back is flat on the ground. Begin with 2 sets of 30 and work up to 3 sets of 30.
2. Again lying on your back with knees bent, extend both arms between your legs and lift your shoulders off the ground using your abdominals. Do the same but with your arms extended outside of your legs. Same repetitions as above.
3. Once again, lying on your back with knees bent extend one arm out to your side and lift your shoulders off the ground. And do the same for the opposite arm. Same repetitions as above.
4. Lying on you back lift your legs straight in the air and raise your buttocks off the ground using your lower abdominals. Pulsating 30 times.

LOWER BACK EXERCISES
1. Lie on your back and raise your pelvis towards the ceiling 30 times.
2. Lie on your stomach and bend your legs upward. Raise your knees off the ground using your lower back and gluteals. 2 sets of 30 repetitions.
3. Again lie on your stomach and raise your chest and torso off the ground using your lower back. 2 sets of 30 repetitions.

Patellar tendonitis is another frequent injury suffered by many basketball players. The patella (better known as the knee cap) lies in front of the hinge joint formed by the femur and tibia. The patella tendon connects the patella to the tibial tuberosity acting as a shock absorber. This tendon becomes inflamed when inflicted by the constant pressure of running and jumping. Kings forward Corliss Williamson suffers from patellar tendonitis. Corliss wears a thin band underneath his left knee called a "Cho-pat" which puts pressure on the tendon to deflect pain away from this joint. This band helps relieve the stress of jumping. Strength and conditioning coach Al Biancani works with Corliss to strengthen his quadriceps, which assist in supporting the knee. Stronger quads will relieve the strain on the patellar tendon and reduce the inflammation. Electrical stimulation and anti-inflammatories are alternative methods to relieve patellar tendonitis.

These basketball injuries are all preventable with strength training and conditioning. Reducing the chances of these injuries involves increasing the strength of supporting muscles, conditioning the entire body to avoid injuries due to exhaustion, and applying braces to weak regions to prevent further injuries.