Sports Injury Doctors Tips to Prevent Basketball Wrist & Hand Injury
Is almost summer vacation – which means kids everywhere will be hanging out and shooting hoops. And every parent wants to keep young basketball players safe and ensure they remain injury free. But a summer of dribbling, passing, catching and shooting on the asphalt– not to mention collisions with other players and falls on the court – can take their toll.
The most common types of basketball injuries in high school, college and professional basketball players (as well as weekend warriors) are wrist and hand injuries.
In this article, Bloomfield Hills, MI sports injury doctor, Dr. Rehman discusses some tips for preventing wrist and hand injuries when playing basketball.
Strong Bones Prevent Basketball Wrist & Hand Sports Injury
No matter how careful a basketball player is during games, getting bumped, shoved, falling and making tough catches are part of the game. So one of the most important things a high, school, college, professional or weekend basketball player can do is to make sure they have strong bones.
Maintaining strong bones is largely nutritional. Athletes need to make sure they’re feeding their bodies well so that their bones are healthy. Good sources of calcium include: milk, cheese and other dairy foods; green leafy vegetables; soybeans and tofu; nuts and anything made with fortified flour. Fish that you eat the bones, such as sardines, are also high in calcium.
But keep in mind that calcium can only reach its full bone-building potential if the athlete is not deficient in vitamin D. The most natural way to get sufficient vitamin D is to expose bare skin to sunlight (ultraviolet B rays) – but in a balanced way so as not to increase skin cancer risk.
Other good sources of Vitamin D include eggs, liver, and fatty fish such as mackerel, herring and salmon. However, most people cannot get sufficient amounts of vitamin D alone, so taking a Vitamin D supplement can help the calcium do its job and strengthen your bones against sports injury.
Additionally, weight-bearing exercise is a highly effective way to increase bone strength. And this is not just limited to weightlifting! Yoga and other activities that use the body’s own weight can also help build strong, dense bones that are less likely to fracture upon impact.
Strong Muscles Prevent Basketball Wrist & Hand Sports Injury
The body’s muscles, ligaments and bones all work together to support and protect one another against fractures, strains and sprains. So protecting the bones and joints from sports injury, requires strong muscles.
Ask your coach or trainer to show you exercises that will strengthen the muscles in the hands, wrists, arms and shoulders. Basketball players who build muscle strength and stability from the shoulders down to the fingertips are less prone to all types of sports injury.
This is especially important for “weekend warriors” and other basketball players who only shoot hoops occasionally. Muscles that are even slightly weak or atrophied from lack of regular use can contribute dramatically to the risk of a basketball injury.
Work on range of motion using a resistance stretching program can also help prevent injury of the hands and wrist. Tendons and ligaments that are elastic with good range of motion are less likely to snap or tear when overextended during a fall, collision or jam from the ball.
Sports Injury Doctor – Macomb County
If you are suffering from any sports injury or pain in your fingers, wrist, elbow or arm, contact Macomb County Sports Injury Doctor Dr. Rehman for a comprehensive evaluation and consultation. Early detection, awareness, and treatment is essential to ensure that today’s sports injury doesn’t turn into a lifetime of long term mobility problems.
Doctor Rehman will assess your individual situation, and prescribe the treatments that are best for your condition.
