Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is also regarded as one of the sports with the highest rate of injury because it is a contact sport.
Injuries occur in basketball as a result of improper landing on the wrong foot while jumping or contact between players. In this article, most of the common foot injuries among basketball players will be discussed and how to prevent them.
7 Most common foot injuries for basketball players
There are a lot of injuries a player can sustain while playing basketball either professionally or locally. Below are the common ones
1. Turf Toes
This occurs when there is a sprain on your toe. For instance, to shoot or dunk, you would jump to add more power to your shot. However, when you land incorrectly or you land with force on your toes, it gets sprained. The sprain is called turf toes.
2. Achilles Tendonitis
Achilles Tendonitis happens when there is discomfort to the Achilles tendon due to a change in the physical structure of the tendon. The Achilles tendon is a tissue found at the back of the ankle. The resulting pain causes stiffness in the ankle, and swelling of the affected area.
3. Plantar Fasciitis
Planar fasciitis is caused by the obstruction of blood flow in the tissue that is in the heel of the feet. The tissue responsible for walking and running called is called the plantar fascia.
This injury is common among basketball players for various reasons. These reasons include the court surface, a player’s foot structure, and weight. There are some plantar fasciitis-supported shoes to help prevent this situation.
4. Ankle Sprains
An ankle sprain occurs when there is a twist in the foot. A twist causes the ankle to shift from its original position leading to a sprain on the ankle. These twists might occur as a result of running on the basketball court. It results in pain or swelling around the affected area.
5. Stress Fractures
This occurs as a result of small cracks in the bones because of a long period of training or exercises such as jumping, running, and so on. The crack on the bone also happens due to spraining of the foot. It causes severe pain in the foot and swelling in the affected area.
6. Broken Foot
This is a more severe injury that happens to basketball players. It occurs as a result of greater contact with your bones. A broken foot also known as a foot fracture occurs when a bone in the foot gets broken. It takes a longer time to heal and you might not be able to play basketball for some time.
7. Achilles Tendon Rupture
This occurs when the Achilles tendon located at the back of the ankle gets torn. Once torn, it can be healed through surgery or other methods as proscribed by your doctor. Achilles tendon rupture is also known as torn Achilles. It leads to pain and discomfort in the foot. It also leads to the feet swelling.
How to Prevent Them?
For turf toes, you should wear the appropriate shoes when playing. Wearing appropriate shoes designed strictly for basketball goes a long way in preventing turf toes.
You should also be careful while you train. Ensure you train in a conducive environment i.e., an environment with less risk of getting turf toes. Also, ensure you rest well after training. You can also use braces around your toes before playing a game. This lowers the risk of getting turf toes.
To prevent Achilles tendonitis, ensure you take regular exercises. Take exercises regularly to strengthen your tissues and muscles against any impending danger. Also, do not overstress your tendons. Too much exercise can lead to overstressed tendons which leads to Achilles Tendonitis. Ensure you are not over-exercising.
You should make sure to wear well-fitted shoes. Wearing a well-fitted shoe helps your tendons to fit into their right position to prevent sprains.
For the Prevention of plantar fasciitis, you should wear plantar fasciitis-supported shoes. These shoes have strong soles and don’t cause blood inflammation to the foot.
You should also perform exercises to strengthen your foot tissue. There are various exercises done to strengthen the foot tissue and allow blood flow through the body. These exercises include the plank, press-ups, and jumping jacks.
Also, do not place too much weight on a particular foot than the other. Ensure there is an equal weight share between both feet to prevent plantar fasciitis.
For the Prevention of ankle sprain, you should perform exercises to strengthen the ankle. Engage yourself in exercises that strengthen the ankle. You should also wear a brace. Braces help to support your ankle from getting sprained.
Wear good shoes. Good ankle shoes protect your ankle from getting sprained, so ensure you get a good shoe. Also, wrap the ankle with a band. Wrapping the ankle with a band keeps your ankle intact together to prevent sprains.
To Prevent stress fractures, do not over-exercise your bones. Do not go into strenuous exercises that would make your bones weaker before playing a game.
You should also wear fitted shoes. Fitted shoes reduce the risk of stress fractures. They make your bones intact together. Ensure to always eat meals rich in calcium. Calcium helps strengthen your bones, and taking meals rich in calcium provides you with strong bones.
For the Prevention of a broken foot, wear tight-fitted shoes. They keep your bones together and prevent them from external accidents. Also, take food rich in calcium. They provide you with strong bones thereby reducing the risk of broken bones.
To Prevent Achilles tendon rupture, wear tight-fitting shoes and perform exercises that strengthen the tendon.
Bottom Line
It is normal to encounter injuries while playing sports, especially basketball. However, ensure you practice all that has been listed above to prevent injuries.
In all, performing exercises, and wearing tight-fitted shoes lower the risk of getting any of the injuries above. Most importantly, when you get injured visit your doctor or physician. Doctors would know better what to do to get you healed from your injury.