Shaun Rodgers, Physiotherapist
Knee pain in young basketball players - How Physiotherapy can help!
If you’re reading this then it may well be that you, or someone who loves basketball that you know, is struggling with knee pain.
We want to help you get out of pain and back performing on the court ASAP.
What causes knee pain in young basketballers?
Pain in the knee from basketball can come from many different structures and sources so a detailed assessment with a physiotherapist is paramount to ensure accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.
A common cause of pain at the front of the knee in young basketball players is Osgood Schlatter’s.
This occurs in young adolescents and can be characterized by pain at the front of the knee, sometimes with swelling and a palpable enlarged bump at the top of the shin (enlarged tibial tubercle).
This is where one of the tendons in the knee attaches to the shin bone. During phases of growth, excess pressure can be placed on this area, causing repetitive stress at the growth plate, resulting in pain and decreased performance.
BOOK ONLINE NOW TO FIX YOUR KNEE
WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT US
What can I do about knee pain in young basketball players?
As previously stated, it is important to get an accurate diagnosis. We should not assume that pain at the front of the knee in a young basketballer is Osgood Schlatter’s, therefore, a thorough assessment is essential with your physiotherapist.
Getting an accurate diagnosis from the start can help get a clear rehabilitation plan.
There can be many factors that relate to the development of this pain and your physio can help you work out what is relevant.
There are a few stages we would want to work through to get you back playing at your best and they are detailed below.
1. Begin with the end in mind
What is your end goal? Let us figure out what the ‘perfect’ result is for you and reverse-engineer that to help you get there.
2. Establish a sensible playing load
At Melbourne Sports Physio, we love sport, it’s in our name!
We know that it is important to you to keep playing sport. With your physio, you can get a plan on how much / how little it is sensible to train/play while you rehabilitate your injury.
Some people can continue to train with a small reduction in volume, others need a large reduction and some need complete rest from the aggravating activity. However, this is only likely to be short term!
3. Pain reduction
We want to establish some things that can help reduce your pain. This can be different strategies depending on the individual. It may include hands on treatment, exercise, taping or other modalities.
4. Improve muscle strength and control
We know that moving well and having adequate strength can reduce the pressure on the front of the knee. Working with your physiotherapist to improve your movement efficiency and strength will be key to getting you back to your best.
5. Ensure readiness to return to sport and future proofing
As your pain levels improve and you start to increase your training and playing times again, we want to ensure you are hitting the right metrics. It is likely that we will use our VALD technology to ensure there are no unnecessary asymmetries between limbs and make sure you can produce enough strength on each side to deal with the demands of basketball.
We also want to get a plan in place to keep you competing at the level you want and make sure that your knee stays robust going forward. In this case, we may look at developing a strength and conditioning plan for you to complete going forward outside of physio.
BOOK ONLINE NOW TO FIX YOUR KNEE
HOW TO FIX KNEE PAIN IN YOUNG BASKETBALLERS
We know that pain and injury can be a frustrating process to go through.
Especially when that stops us playing the sport we love, like basketball.
If you are suffering, book an appointment with us today and let’s get a plan in place to get you better!
BOOK ONLINE NOW TO FIX YOUR KNEE
How can we help you?
At Melbourne Sports Physiotherapy our goal is to get you moving pain free as soon as possible.
But, we also want you to actually move better and live a healthier, more active and fulfilling life!
If your sports, fitness training or work has been wearing your body down, book in with one of our expert massage therapists so we can help you reduce your pain or stiffness.
If you are showing some signs of this condition or simply want help prevent this from happening in the future then book in with one of our highly experienced Remedial Massage Therapists today!
You can make an appointment by calling or booking online.
BOOK ONLINE NOW TO FIX YOUR BODY