Start your season -- Men's basketball
by Jon Garrett, drkoop.com Sports Medicine Editor

It's time to lace-up your high-tops and work on your jump shot. Basketball season is upon us and hoopsters of all ages and skill levels will be hitting the hardcourts soon to participate in this action-packed and very physical sport.

Whether you are a prime-time player or a weekend warrior, there are certain precautions everyone should take to avoid injury before engaging in such a strenuous sport.

Tom McVan, (ATC and LTC) current head football and former head basketball trainer at the University of Texas at Austin, knows a thing or two about injury prevention after eight years of training for Division I basketball.

We picked his brain to formulate a game plan that will help male athletes from junior high to college start the basketball season and avoid injury.

Conditioning

Conditioning is one of the most important things an athlete must do before participating in any sport. A player whose body is not up to the physical challenges of the sport is more likely to succumb to injury. McVan believes that a good conditioning program is the key to an injury-free season.

"Having been around Division 1 basketball for eight years, I have yet to see anyone show up on day one in perfect 'playing' shape," McVan said about preparing for the rigors of the basketball season. "There are things you can do to help your body prepare for the demands of basketball without actually playing." Here are some of his tips on how to properly train the body for the season.

• Distance running will help your heart and lungs be a little better prepared for the season, but your legs and gluteal muscles may not be able to handle it. For variety, try doing short sprints with variable rests.
• How often do you continually run base line to base line in a basketball game without getting a dead ball or foul? Try creating a chart of some type that would set distance and time of rest. Play with these numbers to really challenge yourself as you begin to get in shape. For example, you may want to start with two lengths of the court (or its equivalent) with five seconds rest, and then go directly into six lengths with 15 seconds rest.
• You may want to start with longer rest periods following longer runs, but this is where you can begin to challenge yourself by trimming down rest times after longer sprints. Try doing a series of sprints back-to-back for no more than five to six minutes then take a longer break. Tie several of these sprint sessions back-to-back to maximize effectiveness.
• A stationary bicycle can be substituted for running if an older athlete needs to save his knees. It will not, however, get him as close to court shape as possible.

Strength Training

As important as a good cardiovascular program is, running is not sufficient to get a player in game shape. McVan believes that a good strength program, orchestrated properly, will help defend against injuries as well.

"Goals for sport-specific weight training are far different than power lifters or body builders," McVan said. "Programs should aim at preventing injury and building functional strength. Get as strong as you can without damaging one's ability to move during play. Key muscle groups to work are all muscle groups of the legs, the shoulder, and what professionals are now calling the core (lower back and abdominals)."

• As you build strength, you should not ignore flexibility. Strong tissue cells widen as you get stronger, thus getting shorter in length. This is why it is important to continuously work on stretching during and after lifting.
• Strengthening the front part of your legs, called the quadriceps muscle group, will not only help you jump higher and run faster, it will help you stabilize the knee joint and prevent serious injury.
• Calf and hamstring work will also improve your athletic ability.
• Paying careful attention to the muscle group on the shin will help prevent painful shin splints.

  This can be done by doing exercises with either a towel or rubber band (theraband) around the foot while applying resistance in each of the four directions the foot can work. This will require a partner to help apply the resistance. These exercises will also strengthen the ankle, protecting from ankle sprains.

• Shoulder strength is important as well. Forcing power lay-ups through a defender trying to block your shot is a common situation a player always wants to win. Also, arms are often overhead or outstretched, which makes your shoulder vulnerable for dislocation. Standard shoulder exercises with dumbbells are good. However, do not forget to include internal and external rotation. These will help tighten the rotator cuff.
• Making your low back and abdomen stronger helps prevent low back spasms, but most importantly allows the rest of your body to tolerate heavier weights as you get stronger. McVan said he has seen wonderful results once he started emphasizing building the body's "core."

Preventing and Dealing With Common Basketball Injuries

No matter how good a strength and conditioning program they follow, most athletes will succumb to injury at some point in their career. McVan suggests some additional ways to prevent and care for injuries.

Low Back Pain/ Shin Splints

• Helping the body warm-up prior to workout may help ease the pain before beginning to play. Use hot whirlpools or moist heat packs on shin splints prior to a workout along with some more complicated modalities. This should be followed by a lengthy period of stretching.
• Following exercise, with all these conditions, the patient should end with a 15-minute ice session. With both shin splints and low back pain, a doctor will help your pain as well as help rule out any other possible injuries. Persistent shin pain could be from stress injury or fracture. Persistent low back pain and spasm could be coming from a disc or other more serious problems.
• If you are diagnosed by a physician with either of these conditions, a period of rest is always the best. However, this is often not a viable option.

Jumper's Knee
Another very common injury/condition among basketball players is jumper's knee or patellar tendenitis. As with all knee pain a doctor should always be involved. A prescription anti-inflammatory will often be used to help manage tendinitis. If you do not have the luxury of seeing a certified athletic trainer or physical therapist, there are some things you can do to help control the pain.

• Conditioning on the bike instead of the court may help. Also, warming up with a moist heat pack or warm pool will help make the tendon more flexible. Keeping your quadriceps flexible will also help reduce some tension on the tendon itself. Icing down the tendon following any activity will help with post-workout pain and swelling.

• Warming up and stretching prior to workout will help prevent onset as well as help reduce symptoms.
• Achilles tendinitis is extremely dangerous in the older athlete. As symptoms persist or worsen, the chance of rupture increases.

Achilles rupture is extremely painful and requires surgery along with intensive rehab. Therefore, achilles tendinitis should not be ignored and a physician should be notified.

Male athletes of every age and skill level can benefit from this information regarding preseason preparation and injury prevention. Remember to always consult a doctor or certified trainer when dealing with any injury. Athletes can also benefit from using a little common sense. In a sport where ankle and knee injuries are an everyday occurrence, McVan's final suggestion for a safe and healthy season is to purchase a set of good ankle braces.

"They may seem a little restrictive, but not nearly as restrictive as a cast or severe ankle sprain," McVan said.

Disclaimer:
The information, including opinions and recommendations, contained in this website is for educational purposes only. Such information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. No one should act upon any information provided in this website without first seeking medical advice from a qualified medical physician.