Basketball requires an incredible amount of skill, coordination and agility to move swiftly and confidently up and down the court. The reactive changes of direction, sudden starts and stops and repetitive jumping required by the sport can make staying healthy during the season a challenge.
While it is not possible to fully eliminate injury risk with preparation, there are several things basketball players can do beyond general strength and conditioning to prep their body to stay healthy this season.
Common Basketball Injuries
Basketball players commonly experience a variety of non-contact injuries during the season, including:
Shoulder strains
Back pain
Quad strains and patellar tendinitis
Knee pain and sprains
Calf and ankle pain
These injuries can range from minor, with only a few days lost from play, to season-ending. As mentioned, there are certainly circumstances where injuries are unavoidable, but there are also many things we can do to prep your body to minimize risk and time lost from injury.
Prepping your body before the season starts is the easiest way to maintain strong performance during the season. We recommend including "prehab" into your weekly lifts, taking time during your warm-up and in your accessory exercise choices to build stability and mobility in key areas of the body.
Stabilize The Shoulder
The shoulder is an extremely mobile joint -- it is built to allow us to reach and grasp objects in a large area. The demands of dribbling, shooting and passing in basketball all produce significant force through the shoulder which can lead to rotator cuff injuries or impingement if the shoulder is not properly prepared. Focus on periscapular stabilization drills, including during overhead motions, before progressing to heavier posterior chain strength for the rhomboids and lats to keep the shoulder balanced for pain-free play.
Target The Hips
Repetitive jumping and landing can be challenging for the quads, especially the patellar tendon. While it is important to incorporate eccentric strengthening to keep your tendons healthy, knee health starts with the hips. Incorporate deep hip strengthening, glute activation and plyometrics in addition to checking landing mechanics to limit strain on the knees when jumping and landing.
Mobilize The Midback
Because of shooting and blocking, basketball requires repetitive overhead reaching, extension and rotation. This can make the midback stiff, increasing stress on the upper and lower back that can result in pain and soreness after time on the court. Focus on mobility drills that isolate smooth thoracic and hip movement to keep the spine moving smoothly and limit stress on surrounding muscles while playing basketball.
Bulletproof The Ankles
Your ankle and foot are the first parts of the body to come in contact with the ground when walking and running and handle between 5-10x body weight when running. Limiting injuries, like sprains, Achilles strains and shin splints, requires making sure your ankle is prepared to receive and propel force repetitively, jump and land in multiple directions. Prioritize multi-planar stability, plyometrics and loaded strength for optimal health.
If you are a basketball player struggling to overcome past injuries or uncertain where to focus to propel your game play to the next level this upcoming season, our athlete injury prevention pack consisting of
Eight 40-minute sessions
Sport-specific movement and performance assessments
Hands-on treatment (including dry needling, Graston and cupping)
Individualized prevention programming including mobility and stability exercises tailored to you
Exercise progression as training and sport demands increase
