Those who practice sports medicine and rehabilitation are estimated to bring in revenue worth $21 billion every year. This is because of the amount of attention we give our sports and athletes. America loves a good sports game and as a result we push our athletes to their greatest abilities. And pushing those athletes often means caring for them as soon as possible so they can get their careers back on track.
Injuries due to overuse of specific muscles are often the case in contact sports such as baseball and basketball. Therefore, it’s especially important to take care of your body as an athlete and to be sure you’re not causing damage to your muscles and tendons. The following list provides the common overuse injuries often suffered by basketball players and how to combat these injuries.
- Tendonitis
Tendonitis, or tendinitis, is the overuse of the tendons in your limbs. For basketball, tendonitis is often seen in the arms from continual shots or in the legs from routine movements. Tendonitis is described as an inflammation in the tendon. - Rotator cuff tendonitis
One of the specific forms of tendonitis is rotator cuff tendonitis, which is exactly what it sounds like. Rotator cuff tendonitis is the inflammation of the tendon that connects your shoulder to the bone and joint. - Achilles tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis is the inflammation of the achilles tendon, the tendon that attaches the ankle to the calf muscle and allows you to run and sprint. A common symptom, and typically the main symptom, of achilles tendonitis is a pain just above the heel at the back of the ankle region.
How can you combat overuse injuries?
Once your injury had been determined by a sports medicine doctor to be an overuse injury and not a tear in the tendon or surrounding tissue, you can often treat the injury by resting the area or applying heat or ice to the injury. Make sure that when you’re playing basketball you’re warming up before your plays and doing stretches that are in the correct form. If resting your injuries or performing self-care doesn’t assist in the healing of your injury, you may consider a visitation to one of the many physical therapy clinics.
A sports rehabilitation facility or sports rehabilitation center is a place where athletes go to receive sports physical therapy as a means of healing faster, more efficiently, and in such a way that is customary to them and their sport. Physical therapy clinics exist to help reduce pain and restore the original function of your injured joint or limb. Physical therapy clinics also help you by giving you tips and treatments to keep from worsening your injury in the future.
Therefore, if you are a basketball player, be aware of the common injuries caused by overuse. Stretch and warm up before games and practice, rest well, and apply hot and cold treatment to your muscles. If you experience ongoing pain of any kind, consult your physician or sports medicine doctor for treatment.