When you consider the sport's sudden stops, turns and jumps, it's no wonder that knee pain is common complaint in basketball players. While many knee injuries occur from a single action, such as twisting your knee during a quick pivot, other injuries can happen over time from the consistent pressure placed on your knees during the game. Even if you don't have a seriously injured knee, knee pain from basketball can be a warning sign that your knee may be heading for something much worse.
Basic Anatomy
To understand where knee pain comes from, you must first understand what makes up your knee joint. As the largest joint in your body, it holds most of your body's weight, so there's a lot of pressure on your knee. Your knee joint is made of your thighbone -- called the femur -- and your shinbone, known as the tibia. Cartilage sits between them to keep the bones from rubbing together. These two bones are held together by three major ligaments: the medial, lateral and anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL. Your kneecap, also known as the patella, protects the cartilage and ACL.
Ligaments and Cartilage
When you play basketball, these ligaments and cartilage take a beating and can become sore. One of the more common knee issues for basketball players is known as patellar tendinitis, or "jumper's knee." With this condition, you'll feel most of the pain in the front of your knee and it usually worsens over time. Another common basketball injury is to your ACL, which is the ligament on the outside of the knee. While any ligaments can become painful, the location of the ACL makes it more prone than others to become injured.
Strains and Sprains
Strains and sprains are also common from activities such as playing basketball. Sudden injury can occur and damage or even tear tendons, which can cause pain for weeks. Sprains are usually caused by a sudden action, such as turning your joint the wrong way, and can result in an over-stretched or torn ligament. Strains usually happen over time, such as is the case with the jumper's knee. They're caused by repeated stress but can also stem from an old sprain when the injured tendon develops scar tissue and is naturally weaker where the tear occurred.
Footwear
If you have knee pain from playing basketball, consider getting a new pair of high-quality shoes that provide good support. Not only can good shoes help with your ankles, but they also give you a good foundation that can prevent improper twisting of the entire leg. Good shoes are so important in preventing acute and long term injuries that NBA players replace their shoes as often as every seven to 10 days. If you still are experiencing pain, take it easy and see a doctor to check for injury to your knee.
