Typical Basketball Injuries

While the sport of basketball is not typically thought of to be as physical as other sports, such as football and hockey, the sport does create a lot of wear and tear on a player’s. Because of this, a player runs the risk of falling victim to several common basketball related injuries. A few injuries happen far more frequently than the rest.

The first typical basketball injury is straining or tearing an Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon is a tendon which connects the muscles located in the back of the calf of the leg to the heal bone. Due to the amount of quick turning and sprinting, the Achilles tendon can easily be affected. In most situations, the tendon is just strained, which could cause some discomfort. In more sever situations, the Achilles could become torn. With a strain or even a light tear, the Achilles could heal by resting for a few days. For a more significant tear, a player may have to undergo a surgical procedure which could keep them immobilized for 6 months or more.

Knee injuries are another typical basketball injury. Due to the amount of running and jumping in the sport, and due to the pure mass of many of the professional players, knee injuries are another significant but typical injury for basketball players. Knee injuries range significantly in seriousness. An example of a less serious knee injury is a knee sprain, which occurs when there is a small tear in the ligaments surrounding the knee. To heal this injury, a player must rest and immobilize their knee for a short period of time.

A more severe knee injury would be to completely tear a larger ligament in the knee. The most common ligament tear occurs when a player tears their anterior cruciate ligament. This injury can often occur suddenly and will give a player a sharp sense of pain as their knee is no longer held in place. After this injury, some players are able to play immediately as long as they wear a protective knee brace. In more serious situations, a player will have to undergo a major knee operation, which could keep them out for over a year.

The third typical basketball injury is ankle injuries. Like knee injuries, the ankle is also susceptible to injury because of the running and pivoting that goes along with the sport. The most common form of ankle injury is a sprained ankle. This is a relatively simple injury to repair. All a player has to do after spraining an ankle is stay off of the ankle for a few days and not play basketball at full intensity for about one week.