The Ladera Ranch Diablos are well into the basketball season, with several games under their belts and another five through December. You may think moms breathe a sigh of relief when their high schoolers finish the football season without a serious injury and then head inside to the relative safety of the basketball court. Not so! Basketball injuries are every bit as common as football injuries, and can be just as debilitating.
Take ankle sprains. You thought there was a lot of back in forth movement in football? Just watch those guards weaving through defenders up the court, or the center spinning around for a key layup. It takes just one jump landed wrong to overstretch the ligaments connecting the ankle joint bones, and then you could be looking at weeks of recovery and possibly years of ankle instability or arthritis later.
Then there are Achilles tendon problems. Tight calf muscles and the constant jumping during a basketball game put so much pressure on them that they can become inflamed and tender or thick and weakened by overuse.
High schoolers may have largely outgrown the heel pain of Sever’s disease (a condition caused by differing rates of growth in the tendons and heel bone), but younger players could still suffer from this painful problem.
Shin splints often occur in those who run a lot, and basketball involves lots of running! Pain along the front of the leg could also be caused by a stress fracture of the tibia.
Then there are the other “less serious” problems like blisters and ingrown nails, both of which could be caused by repeated friction and trauma from shoes. Switching to a new sport means wearing different footwear, and sometimes kids’ feet don’t readjust without some problems.
So yes, the risk of sports injuries continues whatever the sport. When you need us to look at your child’s foot injury, Southern California Foot & Ankle Specialists are just a phone call away at (949) 364-9255 (WALK), or you can schedule your appointment right on our website. One thing won’t change: our desire and commitment to finding the best treatment for your son’s or daughter’s injuries whatever the season.