What it takes: Ankle sprains
Landing on another player's foot or cutting hard can roll the ankle. Sprains are the most common basketball injury, and one sprain raises the chance of another.
Basketball
Jumps, hard landings and sudden cuts, game after game.
Basketball is fast, social and great for fitness. All that jumping and cutting is also why it leads to so many ankle sprains and knee injuries. Fingers and faces take hits from the ball and other players.
What it takes and what to do
What it takes: ACL and other knee injuries
Planting and pivoting, or landing from a jump with the knee caving inward, can tear the anterior cruciate ligament. Training how you land and strengthening your hips lowers the risk.
What to do about ACL and other knee injuries
Do bodyweight squatsWeeklySit back and stand up without weights to strengthen your legs and hips for everyday lifting and stairs. Do glute bridgesDailyLift your hips off the floor to strengthen the buttock muscles that sitting tends to switch off. Practice standing on one legDailyA daily balance drill that trains your ankles, hips and reflexes. Warm up before you exerciseAs neededSpend about 5 minutes moving gently before activity to get your muscles and heart ready.What it takes: Jumper's knee
Repeated jumping strains the patellar tendon just below the kneecap. It starts as an ache after games and can get worse if you keep playing through it.
What to do about Jumper's knee
Build up training graduallyWeeklyRaise how often, how long and how hard you train by no more than about 10% a week. Stretch your quadsDailyA standing stretch for the front of your thighs. Do bodyweight squatsWeeklySit back and stand up without weights to strengthen your legs and hips for everyday lifting and stairs.What it takes: Jammed and broken fingers
A ball that hits the tip of a finger can sprain or break it. A finger that stays swollen or bent isn't always just jammed. Don't stretch or exercise a finger that may be broken; get it checked first.
What to do about Jammed and broken fingers
No daily practice fixes this one. Follow the steps described here.
What it takes: Eye injuries from fingers and elbows
Pokes and elbows to the face are common under the basket. Protective sports glasses help prevent scratched corneas and more serious eye injuries.
What to do about Eye injuries from fingers and elbows
Wear eye protectionAs neededPut on safety glasses, goggles or a face shield for work, chores and hobbies that throw debris, chemicals or sparks.When to see a professional
Get care for a knee that pops and swells or gives way, an ankle you can't walk on, a finger that is crooked or can't straighten, or any blow to the eye followed by vision changes. Get emergency care for a head hit followed by confusion or vomiting.