How To Prevent Knee Injuries In Basketball [ Best Tips ]

Even the best NBA players fall and suffer from minor injuries. The highest rate of Injuries In Basketball compared to any other competitive sport. It is a fast-paced sport with lots of running, jumping, sudden stops, and dribbling. It requires players to have firm control over their steps. 

Most of the time, players suffer falls that cause injuries, for instance, knee injuries. These can also affect their basketball career if not treated on time. Hence, you have to be super careful while playing basketball. So you might want to know how to prevent knee injuries in basketball. 

How To Prevent Knee Injuries In Basketball

An easy way to prevent knee Injuries In Basketball is by training your knees for rigorous activities. Start preparing your leg muscles a few days before the game to improve your balance and stamina. Proprioceptive and eccentric exercises are a great way to bulletproof your knees and perform excellently. Wearing protective gear is also good to shield your knees from impact. 

How Do I Protect My Knees When Playing Basketball?

The knees are important joints that carry more than half of the body’s weight. They need to be strong and healthy to perform daily activities effectively. Repeated jumping, running, or carrying weight might lead to knee arthritis. Therefore, knee injuries are pretty common in basketball players. 

Here are a few ways to protect your knees against these injuries:

Wear Protective Gear

Knee caps, sleeves, and pads are great for protecting the knees from injuries. These items are designed to minimize the damage caused by any impact and help provide more support to the knees. They are great for protecting your knees from injury. 

Knee Workouts

Exercise is crucial for the human body in more ways than you can count. It allows muscles to stretch and relax. Knee exercises will help in strengthening your ligaments. Due to this, you can conveniently recover from minor injuries without risking your athletic career. 

Resistance exercises like lunges help strengthen core muscles and enhance body balance. These exercises will also give you the strength to prevent sudden falls. Apart from knee workouts, players should focus on ankle mobility, quadriceps strength, and glute strength, as to protect your knees, your legs need to be strong. 

Warm Ups

Never skip warm up time before the game begins. The warm up exercises are crucial and simple steps to prepare your body for a match and alert your muscles. Warm up and stretching before and after every game will also help strengthen your knees to avoid injuries.  

What Causes Knee Injury In Basketball?

Getting a knee injury while playing basketball isn’t a rare thing. NBA player Derrick Rose has had almost 4 surgeries due to his injuries. The prominent cause of his injuries was landing awkwardly or exerting too much pressure on his knees. 

Usually, when players dunk and land on one foot, it forces all their body weight to fall on one knee leading to muscle tears and other injuries, for instance, ACL. Such an incident can also lead to an ankle sprain sometimes. Landing on your heel has a similar effect. It induces bone fatigue, weakens the knee, and increases the risk of injuries. 

How Do NBA Players Keep Knees Healthy?

While the NBA players seem physically fit, they are as human as all of us, so they must work hard to remain healthy. Players like Russel Westbrook never faced a significant contact knee Injuries In Basketball. Wonder what he does to keep his knees healthy? 

This extraordinary player has a firm grip over his running and landing positions. He has developed the habit of always landing on his forefoot rather than on his hee. This dynamic body position gives him acceleration and support for a better run. Following these techniques creates more elasticity in players’ muscle tendons and reduces the impact of tension and stress on the knee.  

Another thing NBA players take advantage of is their shoes. They wear high-quality basketball shoes with raised ankles. These shoes have a non-slip rubber bottom to prevent falls. Along with that, a raised ankle supports the ankles, reducing the risk of knee injuries while running or dunking. 

How Do NBA Players Deal With Knee Pain?

NBA Players have the support of their coaches, trainers, and physical therapists for these issues. This highly qualified staff trains the players to deal with knee pain and help increase their endurance to injuries. Many trainers, including Carlos Daniel, focus on providing the players with a healthy and nutritious diet. Yogurt, milk, and other food items enhance muscle strength and performance. 

Besides a healthy diet, NBA players also focus majorly on their workouts. They do regular stretching and warm-ups to strengthen the thigh and ankle area. Even after taking all the precautions, many players bruise their knees as this is all a matter of luck and circumstances. 

Does Basketball Ruin Your Knees?

The most common injury in basketball players is called the jumper’s knee. It is the effect of inflammation in the tendon. However, there are various other knee injuries as well. Most of the time, pain arises due to a tight muscle around the knees, for instance, the quads. NBA players are coached to deal with such medical issues. 

Most injuries caused while playing basketball are minor and can be treated by just resting and using deep heat sprays. However, some injuries can lead to a lifelong disability if ignored. Knee injuries in basketball can be a patellar tendon tear; due to repetitive jumping. Although knee injuries may occur while playing the game, it doesn’t correlate to the game ruining your knees. Training, precaution, and some specific workout will bulletproof your knees and make them stronger instead of ruining them. 

What Sport Is Worse For Knees?

Don’t worry; basketball is not the worst sport for your knees. Statistics show that the worst game for the knees is skiing. Skiing leads to many types of injuries including knee injuries. This is beause the sport requires players to rapidly change directions, exerting extra pressure on joints. Apart from that, the slippery snow increases the chances of sudden falls and accidents. 

Do Knee Sleeves Help In Basketball?

Knee sleeves are worn by players in many sports, including cricket, football, snowboarding, etc. They are pretty practical while playing basketball as well. Basketball courts have the most rigid surface, which increases the risk of knee or ankle sprains. Wearing knee caps provides extra layers of protection to players. 

Good quality knee caps reduce the impact of jumping and protect against minor muscle tears and injuries. The built-in compression material of knee caps also helps control muscle soreness and allows a quick recovery. Hence, it is fair to say the knee sleeves or knee caps do help against knee injuries in basketball.

How To Treat Knee Pain From Basketball?

• Train your knees and make sure they are protected.
• Follow a healthy diet. 
• Pursue physical training under professional guidance. 
• Frequently warm up and stretch before and after every game. 
• Opt for wearing a knee sleeve.
• Try using deep heat sprays for quick relief. 
• Perform more ankle and quad exercises. 

Conclusion

If you want to prevent knee injuries when playing basketball, here are some things you should know:

• Sports injuries are common among athletes. Many all-rounder NBA players have suffered and recovered from knee injuries. 
• Getting hurt due to a bad fall or excessive jumping can lead to injuries. However, this should never demotivate players from enjoying the game. 
• Regular workouts, healthy meals, and some physical therapy can help eliminate knee pain.
• Always use protective gear like knee sleeves and trainer shoes to give your best performance.