Basketball is one of America’s favorite sports because it is fun but also because it requires so little equipment and it is inexpensive. The true cost of the sport may be the injuries in basketball, which happen because of the running, jumping, quick changing of direction, and physical contact. Ankle injuries are frequent and basketball knee injuries unfortunately are common and often very severe.

Common Injuries in Basketball and Treatments

Ankle Sprain. The most common injury in basketball in the ankle sprain, which often occurs when one player steps or lands on the foot of another player. Another way that the ankle may be sprained is when a player attempts a quick change of direction and the ankle rolls too far on the outside edge. A sprain occurs when the ligaments, which are like rubber bands that keep the foot bones together, are stretched due to this trauma or even break. Short term treatment includes immobilizing the ankle, keeping it lifted, using ice to reduce swelling and taking ibuprofen to reduce swelling. Once the ankle has fully healed it can handle full body weight again–this may take one week to five weeks. To strengthen the ankle and hopefully prevent an ankle sprain in the future, there are many ankle-strengthening exercises to choose from. One easy one is referred to as the alphabet: while sitting in a chair extend one leg out in front of you and trace the letters of the alphabet with one foot. Repeat the same exercise with the other foot.

Knee Injury. The most severe of the common injuries in basketball is the knee injury. The knee may be sprained, have a torn meniscus or, at worst, suffer a torn ligament. Any of these knee injuries comes from the special torque that comes from the twisting and jumping during basketball. The sprain is a small tear in the ligaments of the knee. Generally, immobilizing, ice and ibuprofen will reduce the swelling–the knee will need to be weight-free for up to three weeks. A tear of the meniscus results from a greater injury and will require arthroscopic surgery with about six weeks of rehab and rest. Finally, a torn ligament (often the ACL) will result in full surgery and, though the player will walk again, there is a risk that the player will not be able to play sports such as basketball again.

Repetitive Injuries. Common injuries in basketball come from the repetitive nature of the sport. Jumping, running and shooting take their toll on the knees (patella), ankles (achilles) and shoulder (rotator cuff) resulting in tendinitis. Tendinitis in any area of the body is an injury resulting from overuse, which causes a painful inflammation of the tendons. The initial treatment is ice, rest and a break from the repetitive activity. Cortisone and anti-inflammatory medicine may be necessary to reduce the swelling. Once resuming basketball, a player can either wear a brace, which may reduce the pain, but will also need to use physical therapy to attempt and strengthen the muscles in that area of the body to prevent further tendon strains.

As an electronic scoreboards continue to light up.