Basketball Season is Here, Make Sure You’re up to the Game

On the surface, basketball doesn’t seem like a high impact sport.  It’s not like football, where you’re literally thrown to the ground.

But when we actually look at how the body moves while playing ball, we realize that it’s not a dainty sport that won’t cause injuries if you’re not careful.  There’s running, jumping, twisting, turning, use of legs, back, and arms, and all done on a hard surface court.

If you’re a basketball player, you need a chiropractor in Billings to make sure you stay on top of your game.

Basketball Players Suffer from these Common Injuries

While any athlete can be hit with injuries to the back, neck, arms, and legs.  There are some that tend to be more common in particular sports.  For example, tennis players often have issues with their elbows, and Tiddlywinks players can tend to have issues with their fingers and thumbs.

Basketball players, while they do have the occasional elbow, shoulder, finger and thumb injuries, tend to be injured more in the legs due to the rapid start and stop nature of the game.

Sprained Ankles – When you have a grippy basketball shoe, a hardwood floor, and the momentum of a ball player running full speed down the court suddenly stopping and turning, well, that ankle joint can give out.  When it does the ligaments and tendons get stretched beyond their limits and a sprain ensues.

Knee Injuries – Moving on up the leg, the next joint that takes a whole lot of stress is the knee.  Knees are vital to push off the ground and jump for your shots, dunks, and leaping over players that have tumbled to the ground in front of you.  “Knee injuries” is a bit of a catch-all term that means just about anything that happens to the knee.

Pulled Hamstrings – A basketball player isn’t limited to pulling a hammy, but that’s a common one with all the pressure put on the lower body in this sport.  A pulled muscle happens when the muscle is put through too much exertion and it can’t keep up.  The only way to prevent one is with proper training before game day.

How a Chiropractor helps Basketball Players

Just like other sports, a chiropractor helps basketball players in two ways: preventative and restorative.

Preventative maintenance is all about making sure that you don’t get hurt when you’re out there putting 100% into the game.  When you have your joints all lined up, they’re going to function optimally.  When you’re functioning optimally, your body can work hard to prevent an injury that might otherwise occur when you’re not all lined up.

Restorative is all about making sure you heal as quickly as possible after an injury.  Despite having your joints all lined up, things can get a little western on the court and you can get injured.  When you have a Billings chiropractor help keep things in line, your body can heal itself faster.

Make an Appointment with a Billings Chiropractor

I know what you’re thinking.  You’re thinking, “Wow, I should make an appointment to see Dr. Shayne Durbin, the best chiropractor in Billings!”  And we are flattered that you think so.

To make an appointment you can request one through our online appointment scheduler, or just call us at 406-545-2128 and schedule right over the phone.