Protecting Your Legs in Basketball

Protecting the Upper Leg in Basketball

Basketball presents players with a large variety of risks when training and playing, and for the last few weeks we have been wrestling with how to deal with the most common and serious risks. The most common injury we have not discussed so far in the upper leg, made up mainly of two muscles: the hamstring and the quadricep which are considered to be the largest muscle outside of the gluteus maximus. This week, we are going to focus on protecting your quadricep from harm and preventing damage to your hamstring in basketball.

The Back of the Leg – the Hamstring

The hamstring is frequently damaged and can occur in different severities usually in training or games where the player has failed to warm up properly. It can also be the result of overuse and exhaustion. Your on-site physical therapist should be able to identify your damage as one of the following:

Grade 1 – this tends to be a mild muscle pull or strain and will tend to mend itself within a few days.

Grade 2 – this tends to be a more serious but partial muscle tear and will take weeks and even months to fully rehab and heal

Grade 3 – this is a complete muscle tear and will take serious rehab and care to mend, usually lasting months.

Of course, the time it takes to mend will be based on your overall health, severity of damage, and quality of care. As this muscle is so important in day-to-day activities, having a damaged hamstring can impede every facet of your life – and for the most part you can forget about basketball outside the confines of watching the NBA until it is healed.

The Front of the Leg – the Quadricep

It is not uncommon for basketball players to engage in hard contact and collisions when playing regardless of whether they’re at the downtown court or on the T.V. This is why basketball is a breeding ground for quadricep damage –usually sustained as a result of trauma to the front of the upper-leg. This is called a quadricep contusion.

Initially the blow is uncomfortable but many players experience swelling and increase in pain over time. If a player sustains a blow of this nature it is imperative they follow the RICE procedure and begin treatment immediately to avoid a minor injury turning into long term muscle strength and flexibility issues.

Although the damage to the quadricep and hamstring vary in both genesis and severity, if you have suffered from one of these issues it is imperative you contact a physical therapist to help you on your way back to proficiency. If you would like to contact one of Mount Sinai’s dedicated teams, please contact our switchboard at (212) 241-6321