How Physical Therapy Can Heal Basketball Injuries

Basketball is a contact sport that can lead to a multitude of injuries. They’re often painful and can take weeks or even months to heal. But there are ways to speed up the process and make it easier on your body. Physical therapy is an incredibly effective way to help you recover from a basketball injury. With physical therapy, you’ll work with a physical therapist who will focus on strengthening the muscles at the site of your injury, ultimately reducing pain and easing your recovery time. Your physical therapist will also teach you exercises to enhance other parts of your body so you can use them again when playing basketball. In this article, let’s explore how physical therapy can help athletes overcome basketball injuries.

What are the Most Common Basketball Injuries?

Basketball is a great sport, but it can also be dangerous. Injuries can happen at any time during the game and can be serious. Here are some of the most common basketball injuries:

1. Sprained ankle or knee: Sprained ankle or knee is a common injury among youth, with an estimated prevalence of 10% to 17%. It occurs when the ankle or knee is twisted or stretched beyond its limits. Physical therapy can help reduce pain and improve the ability to perform on the court.
2. Strained muscles or tendons: A strained muscle or tendon is a condition in which a group of muscles, tendons, or other tissues are compressed and damaged by overuse. In basketball, the knees are used frequently due to jumping, landing, cutting and your position on the court.
3. Herniated disc: Herniated disc, also called slipped or ruptured disc, is a type of back pain that can affect individuals who either play basketball or participate in other sports with a heavy impact on their bodies.
4. Broken bones: Broken bones are a common injury in contact sports, such as basketball. Usually, a bone breaks because of trauma from a direct blow to the area or high-impact forces acting on the limb, such as falling, reaching for a steal or loose ball, or a collision with another player.

Breakthru Physical Therapy is a team of highly trained physical therapists specialized in treating the injuries that occur to basketball players. Our patient-focused approach and dedication to rehabilitation ensure that your injury gets better!

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Basketball Injuries?

Basketball injuries can happen at any age and in any sport. They can occur during organized games, practice, or even when you’re just playing in the street or backyard with your friends. Knowing the signs and symptoms of a basketball injury is important to take precautions and prevent further damage.

Signs and Symptoms of Basketball Injuries:

• The first sign of a basketball injury is pain. If pain follows an impact on the body, it could be from a direct hit, muscle strain, or sprain. If you are experiencing joint pain, it could be due to a ligament tear or sprain.
• Another sign of potential injury is swelling around an injured area. Swelling will likely occur within 24 hours of an impact. If there’s no swelling in conjunction with other symptoms, this might be normal for your particular body type (for example, if you have thin skin).
• Your joints may feel stiff and sore after playing basketball and any other activity impacting them, such as running or jumping upstairs.

How Physical Therapy Can Heal Basketball Injuries?

Basketball injuries are common and often serious. However, there are ways to prevent them. Physical therapy can heal injuries and alleviate pain from injuries sustained in sports. In most cases, manual therapy is used to restore muscle strength and improve balance, coordination, flexibility, and posture. Whether you’re a recreational player or a member of an elite team, injury and pain are unavoidable for even the most skilled athletes. Fortunately, there are remedies to help stop those aches and pains from taking over. If you or someone you know has been injured playing basketball, Physical therapy with Breakthru can help restore all or part of the original function of your muscles and joints so that you can get back on the court.

What are the Treatments for Basketball Injuries?

Let’s discuss the different treatment options for a basketball injury.

• The most common is rest and ice. This is when you wrap your injured body part with an ice pack for about 15 minutes every few hours for a couple of days. Rest and ice are an important first step, because it helps reduce inflammation in your body and therefore helps to reduce pain.
• Another option is to use heating pads to help reduce swelling around the injured area.
• The third option is corticosteroid injections, given under general anesthesia and into the capsule around the joint (not just around the skin). Corticosteroids treat inflammation and pain associated with arthritis or sports-related injuries like sprains and strains.
• The fourth option is physical therapy, which includes stretching, strengthening, and other activities designed to improve flexibility, mobility and strength.

What Can a Physical Therapist Do to Prevent a Basketball Injury?

There are several things that a physical therapist can do to prevent a basketball injury. The first step is to ensure that the athlete understands the rules of basketball and how they apply to their particular sport, such as how much contact is allowed between players or what happens when players hit the ground or fall on their knees. It’s also important for therapists to teach athletes how to use proper body mechanics at all times so that any injuries are avoided in the first place.

Physical therapists may also recommend exercises for basketball players who have played for many years and have developed severe injuries after years of playing the sport. For example, older players may need more time between practices than younger players, because they’re more likely to sustain injuries from overuse or repetitive motions like jumping too high or landing too hard on their toes.

If there are certain areas of concern, they may also recommend the certain protective gear to help reduce the impact of injuries when these areas are exposed during play. The physical therapist will also work with the patient on stretching and strengthening exercises to help them recover from an injury more quickly and efficiently than if no treatment was taken. These exercises can be done at home or through exercise classes to maintain strength and flexibility in different body parts during games and practice sessions when possible.

Why Choose Breakthru for Physical Therapy to Treat Basketball Injuries?

When choosing a physical therapist for your basketball injuries, there are many things to consider. You want someone who is knowledgeable about sports injuries, who has experience treating basketball injuries, and who will be able to help you get back on the court as soon as possible.

At Breakthru, we not only have therapists on staff who are certified in their field, but they also have decades of experience treating patients who come to us with injuries related to sports, recreation, and more! We know how important it is to get back on the court or court-like surface as soon as possible after an injury so you can resume your routine with little disruption.