Basketball: Elevate Your Game

KIM’S KORNER

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]asketball is popular all over the world. There is just one month to go to the start of the NBA finals and two months before the Saint Lucian National Basketball team heads to Suriname to compete in the FIBA Americup 2021 preliminary phase. For those of you who do not know much about basketball, it’s a game where two teams of five players aim to shoot as many baskets as possible. It was invented by the Canadian Dr James Naismith, in 1891; he used a football and two peach baskets. Over the years it has developed into a fast-paced game with lots of player contact. With speed and contact come injuries. Over the next two weeks we are going to look at the most common injuries and how preparation can reduce risks and improve performance. This week we will focus on lower body injuries.

Ankle sprains: These are one of the most common injuries and occur when the foot either twists or rolls causing ligament damage.  It may be as simple as overstretching the ligament or, in more severe cases, tears or even complete rupture.

Immediate treatment: Follow the PRICE protocol. In minor sprains a simple exercise programme may be sufficient for a swift return to play but in cases where the ligament has torn, a more intensive programme of strengthening and increasing balance and proprioception is recommended. For ruptured ligaments, surgery may be required.

Prevention: Rather than just reaching for your ankle brace, change your training schedule.  Balance and proprioception exercises, to increase ankle control in all positions, and strength training are vital to performance and fitness. The ankles support our entire body weight and many people complain of weakness but when playing sport, especially basketball where jumping and quick turns are part of the game, exercises for the ankles should never be overlooked.

Foot fractures: It’s not unusual for basketball players to complain of foot pain, even without history or evidence of an injury. The constant jumping and twisting can cause stress fractures, tiny cracks in the bone.

Treatment: Usually rest is required and the foot may be placed in a cast for 4-6 weeks. After this time a gradual return to activity is advised with emphasis, as with ankle sprains, on strengthening exercises and balance and proprioception training.

Prevention: The easiest way to prevent stress fractures is to modify your training schedule and monitor the surface you are training and playing on.  Wearing footwear that provides good support and cushioning can also reduce the risk of developing this painful and debilitating condition.

Knee sprains and strains: These are also common injuries. As mentioned earlier, sprains involve damage to ligaments, and in the knee the most common ligaments injured are the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). These two ligaments run through the centre of the knee, between the femur and the tibia, forming an X shape. They keep the knee stable during rotation and prevent the bones sliding backwards and forwards on each other. They are susceptible to injury due to the high speed, frequency of quick turns, jumps and forceful contact with other players. Knee strains, on the other hand, involve tendons, which attach muscle to bone. They are more often overuse injuries; patella tendonitis (jumper’s knee) affects the tendon from the base of the patella to the shin bone; the impact of jumping causes inflammation but, like ligaments, tendons can be damaged by impact injuries and falls.

Prevention: Strengthening the muscles around the knee and ankle can help prevent injuries. With overuse injuries it is best to balance your training programme, allowing for not only drills and court practice but also workouts in the gym, focusing on the major muscles of the lower limb and ensuring you have good flexibility.

We all know prevention is better than cure and how you train and balance your schedule is vital to improved performance and less injuries. Despite our best intentions, injuries are not always preventable. The key message is, if you do have an injury, seek advice from a physiotherapist or a doctor who can advise you on the best way forward.

Next week we will look at common upper body injuries.

Kim Jackson is a UK-trained physiotherapist with over 20 years’ experience. She specializes in musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction, including back pain and sciatica, stroke and other neuro conditions plus sports physiotherapy, having worked with local, regional and international athletes and teams treating injuries and analyzing biomechanics to improve function and performance. She is registered with the Allied Health Council and is a member of PASL. She currently works at Bayside Therapy Services in Rodney Bay,

www.baysidetherapyservices.com