Basketball Injuries
While basketball isn’t meant to be played with the same sort of aggression and player-to-player contact as other popular sports such as football, lacrosse, and hockey, it still brings with it a high risk of injury even when played safely and correctly. Basketball related injuries led to more than 200,000 visits to the hospital each year for kids under the age of 15. There are many different physical acts performed during basketball that puts the athlete in a vulnerable position for injury, and these can lead to damage to a number of different body parts.
The most common injuries in basketball are to the lower body, mainly the ankle and knee. This is due to a few reasons, but primarily because of plays made near the rim, where players’ feet are leaving the ground and usually forcing contact with others, leaving players vulnerable to dangerous contact with each other as well as awkward landings once they come down. This is also what likely causes general trauma, another one of the top reported injuries. Basketball requires no external protection like other contact sports, and this combined with a hardwood floor (or outdoor blacktop) can lead to serious pain to any body part that comes crashing down on it (lower body, wrist, forearm).
Another group of injuries we see more often at higher levels of organized basketball (college and professional) are ACL tears caused by a simple quick change in direction. The best ball handlers and the defenders that guard them all have the ability to stop and change direction on a dime. Sometimes, however, this can lead to serious knee and ankle injury. The ball can also travel around the court with some force behind it, and failing to catch it correctly can lead to finger injuries. Even being stuck with the ball by mistake could lead to some pain if it’s in the wrong spot.
We hope you never have to experience any of these injuries, but if you do, physical therapy can be a solution. At Park Physical Therapy, we have years of experience rehabilitating sports injuries like these and love helping athletes regain their strength and get back out there! Park Physical Therapy can help whether you are looking for post-surgical rehab or just need help recovering from an injury.
Did you know that you have Direct Access to Physical Therapy? No referral is needed. We offer the best Physical Therapy on Long Island where you can get help from our trusted and expert Physical Therapists. To start your Physical Therapy evaluation, call Park Physical Therapy at (516) 798-3789 today!
