Basketball Personal Injury and Avoiding the Bench

As March Madness picks up, basketball personal injury falls into the spotlight.

If March Madness inspires you to hit the courts, we encourage you to read up on these common but often preventable basketball personal injury.

Avoiding a Basketball Personal Injury

This a list of the most common basketball personal injury and accidents, along with tips to avoid these basketball injuries.

Sprained Ankles

An incredibly common basketball personal injury is a sprained ankle.

An ankle sprain is often caused by the ankle turning in too far, or at an odd angle.

A sprained ankle can be prevented by doing simple warm-up and cool-down stretches that strengthen the muscles and increase flexibility.

A sprained ankle can be treated with RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation).

More serious sprains may require medical attention.

Jammed Fingers

If you missed that last pass and hit the tip of your finger, you may have a jammed finger.

A jammed finger often has significant swelling around a single joint.

While a jammed finger can most often be treated with ice and “buddy taping” (taping the injured finger to the finger next to it), a more serious jammed finger may require medical attention.

Basketball Court Collisions Resulting in Deep Bruising and Abrasions

Deep thigh bruising and facial cuts can happen when there is a collision on the court.

The best way to prevent these injuries is to simply be aware of your surroundings.

If you prefer your games to be more aggressive like the pros, protective thigh pads are available for purchase.

Stress Fractures

Stress fractures can occur when training or playing increases dramatically.

In basketball, these often occur in the foot and lower leg.

A stress fracture can bench you for however long it takes to heal, so if you want to see the season through to the end, be sure to train properly and ease into the game.

Head and Brain Injuries

Brain Injuries in Sports are very common, especially in youth sports and contact sports like basketball.

If you do suffer a head injury in basketball, you need to do everything possible to mitigate the injury by seeking proper medical treatment right away.

As brain injury lawyers, we cannot stress the importance of swift and thorough medical treatment for all basketball head injuries, no matter how minor they might seem.

These injuries can have lasting and permanent effects on the basketball player, if left untreated.

What To Do If You Suffer a Basketball Personal Injury

Our most important tip is to listen to your body. Don’t overdo it.

No championship is worth the pain of a torn ligament or sprained ankle.

Proper training and knowing your limits can save you from a serious basketball personal injury.

Don’t let the competition keep you from taking a breather, doing some stretches, or pausing for a water break.

Playing through the pain for a win won’t help you with the pain of a personal injury lawsuit.

Go to the hospital or seek medical care to reduce the chance that the injury could become more serious.

Follow your doctor’s orders.

If you suffered a serious injury resulting in major economic losses and your coach, another player, a ref, a medical professional, or another person involved put you at risk or failed to ensure your safety, contact us to see what legal options you have.