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Common Basketball Injuries

September 15 | drsingh

For both adults and kids, basketball is often a favorite sport. For those who don’t play on a regular team, it can be a way to stay active without making exercise feel like a chore. For those who do play in an organized league, it also offers an outlet for healthy competition. As with any sport, however, basketball does present a risk of injury to its players. It’s worth knowing what the most common kinds of basketball injuries are and strategies you can use to avoid them before you head out onto the court.

The Top 5 Basketball Injuries

According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, sprains, strains, and general trauma make up the majority of the injuries basketball players suffer, broken down into the most common types as follows:

Foot and ankle injuries: Foot and ankle injuries are by far the most prevalent types of injuries. Players might twist or roll an ankle, land badly after a jump, get stepped on, or collide with other players while going for the ball. To help avoid injuries to the feet and ankles, it’s important to have the right kind of footwear. Proper basketball shoes have more support around the ankle than a general-purpose athletic shoe, and those designed for indoor play will provide better traction on indoor court surfaces. If you know you’re prone to ankle injuries, it may be worthwhile to tape up your ankle with athletic tape before you play for extra support.

Hip and thigh injuries: Basketball involves not just plenty of running, but lots of quick movements and sudden changes of direction—pivoting, jumping, dodging, and rebounding. It can be easy to strain muscles and ligaments when you move the wrong way too abruptly. You can also get strains and bruises from running into other players. While contact injuries may be hard to avoid entirely, you can lessen your chances of getting a strain from overextension by stretching prior to playing.

Knee injuries: Knee injuries are the third most common type in basketball, although they’re usually minor sprains and strains rather than the severe injuries seen in high-contact sports like football. Your best way of avoiding this problem is by strengthening the muscles in your legs to provide better support for your knees. Again, stretching before play is also a great idea. If you know your knees are prone to injuries, use a quality knee brace for additional support.

Wrist and hand injuries: These kinds of injuries in basketball are less common, but they do occur, often from running into another player or accidentally jamming a finger when you catch the ball. The best preventative here is good situational awareness and keeping your eye on the ball as you play.

Head and face injuries: This type of contact injury may be impossible to avoid completely, and the greatest concern is the possibility of concussion.

A final note: More injuries tend to occur in the second half of basketball games, so beware when fatigue starts to interfere with your concentration.

Recovering from Sports Injuries

At Singh Rehabilitation, we work with all kinds of patients, from elite athletes and professional teams to kids and everyone in between. Our approach uses a combination of physiotherapy and chiropractic to treat your injury and to properly align your musculoskeletal system to enable your body to heal itself. We take a holistic view of treatment, addressing both your physical and mental well-being through intervention, rehabilitation, treatment, prevention, and education. 

High-quality chiropractic and physiotherapy care can also help enhance performance and prevent future injuries. Whether you’re an athlete or not, regular care can help keep you in the best shape possible. At Singh Rehabilitation, you’ll get a thorough examination and an individualized comprehensive treatment plan designed to treat the whole person. We have convenient locations in Newport Beach and Anaheim to serve the Orange County community. To learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment, contact us here.