We can recognize several common knee joint sports injuries. Patellofemoral strain is the most common sports injury. In addition, there are also meniscus injuries, anterior and posterior cruciate ligament injuries, and injuries to the inner and outer collateral ligaments.
Patellofemoral strain
It is patellofemoral pain syndrome, usually caused by overuse and excessive pressure on the patellofemoral joint, anatomical or biomechanical abnormalities, muscle weakness, imbalance or dysfunction, and other factors.
Treatment: If there are acute symptoms such as pain, swelling, and fever that accompany exercise, it is necessary to rest, apply ice, apply pressure, and elevate first. Once the pain and inflammation subside, we need to correct the biomechanical imbalance that caused the injury, improve movement patterns, and prevent further cartilage wear.
Prevention: Consult a professional sports rehabilitation therapist to correct movement patterns, enhance muscle strength, and improve muscle balance. Wearing knee pads that correct the movement trajectory of the patella also has a certain effect.
✪ Meniscus injury
Treatment: For patients with acute injuries, the early treatment is local cold compress, using thick cotton pads to compress and fix the knee, and raising the injured limb. If the joint swelling is severe (especially joint bleeding), it is necessary to go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. If diagnosed with meniscus tear, especially for patients who frequently experience joint locking, it is recommended to undergo arthroscopic shaping and suturing surgery.
Injuries to the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, as well as injuries to the inner and outer collateral ligaments
Treatment: In case of injury, immediate on-site cold compress, pressure bandaging, and immobilization can be used to reduce bleeding and relieve pain. For the early treatment of incomplete rupture of the inner and outer collateral ligaments, the main approach is to appropriately fix and elevate the affected limb to prevent further bleeding from the injured area. But the best treatment for complete rupture is surgical treatment.
The ankle is one of the most vulnerable areas to injury while playing basketball. A common sports injury to the ankle joint is varus sprain, which can cause tearing or breaking of one or more ligaments in the ankle. After a sprain, it is usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and limited joint movement, and the recovery time varies from a few days to several months depending on the severity of the injury.
Treatment: During on-site emergency treatment, if there is bleeding, immediately use your thumb to compress the pain point to stop the bleeding, and immediately apply cold compress, local pressure bandage, elevate the affected limb, and brake to rest. For mild ligament injuries, after fixing with adhesive tape and wrapping with elastic bandages, each toe can move appropriately and can be intermittently and continuously applied with ice/cold compress for 15-20 minutes each time, every 2-3 hours/time. For severe lateral ligament injuries, swelling and muscle spasms are more pronounced. Eliminating swelling is the first consideration, and pressure bandaging and ice/cold compress are also very important. At the same time, support straps can be used for fixation, and ankle joint function should be exercised early. For severe ligament tears, it is necessary to promptly seek medical treatment and rule out fractures. Due to the fact that improper treatment of a sprained foot can lead to serious complications, and it is difficult to determine the severity of the sprain on one's own, it is recommended to seek timely medical attention from the hospital's ankle specialist after spraining the foot. Especially if habitual sprains have already formed, it is necessary to go to the hospital's ankle specialist for examination and treatment.
It is particularly important to note that regardless of the type of ligament sports injury, it is not recommended to use hot compress or thermal therapy.
Prevention: The most common causes of ankle sprains we see are twofold: one is accidentally stepping on someone else's foot; The second reason is not doing enough warm-up, which leads to leg twisting. So, we need to fully twist our ankles before the game starts. In addition to strengthening the muscles around the ankle joint and improving proprioception, it is also crucial to wear ankle protection appropriately. Indoor basketball shoes can be worn during indoor activities to prevent slipping and provide sufficient support for the ankles.
Thigh muscle contusion is another common basketball injury, usually caused by someone else's elbow or knee accidentally hitting the athlete's thigh muscle.
Treatment: Like ankle sprains, acute symptoms include swelling, pain, and elevated skin temperature. The principles of treatment are rest, ice compression, compression, and elevation. After 24-48 hours, physical therapy and massage can begin. The massage technique should be gentle, and only gentle pushing and rubbing should be done around the injured area. Rubbing, pinching, and kneading can be done around the injured area, but attention should be paid not to hot compress. If the muscle is mostly or completely broken, after local pressure bandaging and appropriate fixation of the affected limb, it should be immediately sent to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment. Once acute symptoms have passed, mild exercise rehabilitation training is required, including stretching and strength training of injured soft tissues.
Prevention: It is usually impossible to avoid such injuries. However, by stretching and preparing before the activity, as well as conducting strength training, the impact of injury can be reduced. At the same time, sports bodysuits can be worn to provide additional protection.
Finger contusions are one of the most common injuries during basketball passing and receiving, not to mention steals and so on. When quickly receiving and passing the ball or grabbing the ball, the fingers may collide vertically with the ball, which may cause external force to the fingers and result in finger joint damage.
Treatment: After bruising, the first symptoms are pain and swelling. We can apply ice to reduce the leakage of tissue fluid, and then use medical tape to fix the injured finger on the adjacent finger. After 48 hours, we can start flexion and extension activities. If the pain and swelling persist after a few days, it may be necessary to seek medical attention.
In basketball games, it is often easy to cause facial injuries such as head and elbow contusions, and even eyebrow lacerations during steals, layups, and rebounding.
Treatment: Clean and disinfect the wound, and if the wound is deep, stitches may be necessary. If there is no wound and only swelling and pain, then ice compress is needed. If there is suspicion of a fracture or severe head injury, seek medical attention promptly.
Treatment: Non operative treatment methods such as physiotherapy, massage, acupuncture and moxibustion, sealing, oral medication, protective belt (around the waist) and strengthening back muscle exercises can be used.
Prevention: Before exercising, warming up thoroughly and twisting the waist can make our body more coordinated and enable us to make movements very sensitively. If the warm-up is not enough, it is easy to get injured when attacking or rebounding directly from the basket.
We need to talk about warm-up
Everyone knows the importance of warming up before exercise, but its significance is still worth repeating dozens of times.
Warm up before exercise should start with lower intensity movements and gradually increase the amplitude of the movements. Otherwise, the warm-up effect will go in the opposite direction, not only failing to warm up, but also causing muscle strains and joint injuries.
Warm ups should vary in different seasons and regions. After adapting to the sports field, one should adjust their warm-up plan appropriately before exercising, even considering the weather conditions and environment.
That's all for the sharing about basketball. I believe everyone will gain something from reading here.