With March Madness in full swing, now is the perfect time to talk about basketball injuries and physical therapy jobs. Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the U.S., and it has advanced quite a bit over the years.
There’s a reason why so many people get swept up in March Madness every year – there’s something exciting about that last-second shot, the sound of the ball swooshing through the net and the thunderous cheers after a big slam dunk. It’s hard to believe that Dr. James Naismith, the creator of the game, came up with the sport by using a soccer ball and two peach baskets in 1891. If you look at how basketball is played today, especially on the collegiate and professional levels, it’s all about speed, fast breaks, agility and high-impact movements.
Although this makes the game very exciting to watch and play, basketball is associated with 1.6 million injuries each year, according to Stop Sports Injuries. As flashy and impressive as basketball is, the sport is incredibly physical and puts a lot of demands on the body.
Common basketball injuries
Basketball requires constant abrupt stops, sprints and jumps, especially in the “paint” (the area right below the basket). This can put a lot of wear and tear on the joints in particular. As a result, some of the most common basketball injuries include ankle sprains, foot fractures, jammed fingers and numerous injuries to the knee, including the ACL. In fact, an ACL injury will often result in a player sitting out the rest of the season, so it’s crucial for physical therapists to pay attention to the knee joint in particular when helping athletes prevent and treat basketball injuries.
Like any other sport, basketball doesn’t come without its fair share of overuse injuries, especially with the amount of physical contact during games and practices. Achilles tendonitis, patellar tendonitis and muscle strains are also very common on the court.
“Some of the more common injuries I see are sprained ankles, knee sprains, shoulder overuse-type injuries from shooting, as well as wrist and elbow problems,” Dave Fluker, the associate head athletic trainer at Xavier University, explained to Advance Healthcare Network. “Especially if you come from a team that’s pretty physical and really hones in on defense, guys can get concussions and things of that nature as well. With the state of college basketball, I feel it’s a very physical sport, and sometimes you get the ACL tears, head injuries and shoulder dislocations.”
Rehabbing basketball players and injury prevention
Luckily, there are a lot of ways to prevent and rehab injuries in basketball players during your travel therapy jobs. Although surgery may be required for more serious issues, many of the injuries incurred from play can be treated with physical therapy.
When a player is suffering from a joint injury, it’s important to strengthen the muscles and ligaments surrounding the affected joint both for healing and for keeping the player conditioned. This will allow him or her to more easily transition from the bench to the court once he or she is healthy enough to do so. For example, if an athlete develops a knee injury, physical therapists will want to focus on strengthening the quads and hamstrings.
According to a 2010 study published in Sports Health, patellofemoral inflammation caused more time off of the court than other injuries, so it’s important to also build up the front part of the kneecap with an exercise bike. Additionally, players will want to avoid deep knee movements like squats during training if they experience patellofemoral pain.
Tournament pools and nail-biting game finishes aside, basketball is a sport that requires a lot of preventative care and treatment. Physical therapists need put an emphasis on allowing basketball players to rest and recoup following a game or practice to avoid overuse injuries.