Chiropractic and Prep Hoops: A Full-Court Press on Pain
Reviewed by: Dr. Steven Knauf, D.C.
By: Paul Rothbart
Schools love athletes, classmates love athletes, and colleges love students involved in extracurricular activities like sports. Sports are fun and teach teamwork, accountability, and other life lessons. There’s nothing like the thrill of competition, representing your school in a game of skill, and sinking a meaningful basket in a packed gymnasium.
Basketball is an enormously popular high school participation sport. In the 2022-23 school year, more than a half-million played high school hoops. The sport ranked third, trailing only football and track and field in popularity. Girls basketball, with nearly 400,000 participants, also ranked third behind track and volleyball.
That’s a lot of basketball players running, jumping, and stopping on a dime. Although not considered a contact sport, court injuries are common.
With clinics nationwide, The Joint Chiropractic is your neighbor and partner in health. Our doctors want to educate you about the benefits of chiropractic care for teenage basketballers. Chiropractors are accepted as viable practitioners of sports medicine.
What are the most common injuries in high school basketball?
When it comes to common sports injuries, basketball has its share. It’s a strenuous sport that involves running up and down the court, lots of jumping, and more than occasional contact. Certain injuries are common in basketball.
Ankle sprains
An ankle sprain is one of the most common sports injuries for basketball players at any level. When jumping, players sometimes land awkwardly or on the foot of another player (which is also awkward). This twists the ankle and can cause a sprain. Sudden stops and changes of direction also frequently result in a sprained ankle.
Knee injuries
Unsurprisingly, a sport that stresses the lower body sees frequent knee injuries. The same movements that can injure an ankle can strain or sprain knees. The anterior cruciate ligament is particularly vulnerable, and ACL tears are prevalent. Girls suffer ACL injuries more often than boys.
Muscle Strains
Muscle pulls and strains are common in most high school sports, and basketball is no exception. The hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and groin are the most common victims of strains. These injuries can be painful and keep players off the court for weeks.
Concussions
Head-to-head contact does sometimes happen, especially when battling for a rebound. This can cause a concussion, as can hitting one’s head on the hardwood during a hard fall to the floor. These are serious injuries that must be treated with the utmost care.
Stress fractures
Stress fractures most commonly occur in the feet. When the muscles become fatigued, more stress is placed on the bones, where microfractures can happen. These hurt and can take a player out of the lineup for an extended period.
Overuse injuries
Overuse injuries are exactly what they sound like. A part of the body is strained from overworking it. Young athletes who don’t warm up properly before practices or games are especially vulnerable. Sufficient rest between sessions is essential in preventing these types of injuries.
Why do girls experience more ACL injuries and concussions than boys?
Boys and girls are equally capable of excellence on the court. However, their bodies do differ. If you have a daughter playing high school basketball, you should know how this affects her risk of basketball injuries.
Because the female pelvis is wider than its male counterpart, additional stress is placed on the soft tissues that support the lower body's joints. The extra stress increases the chance of an injury, especially a torn ACL. Research suggests that girls are 2-8 times more likely to suffer this type of injury than boys.
Girls also tend to have higher rates of concussions. The nerve fibers in female brains tend to be smaller than in males. This makes the fibers more easily breakable and may make female players more likely to suffer dizziness or a concussion after a blow to the head.
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t let your daughter play basketball. It’s just important to be aware of this and be vigilant about preventing injuries.
How does chiropractic prevent basketball injuries?
As a concerned parent, you want to do everything possible to prevent your high schooler from being injured while playing basketball—or any sport, for that matter. Regular chiropractic adjustments may help reduce the risk of injuries.
Proper alignment of the spine is essential to optimal performance. “It is when an athlete can master his or her full resources on the court, which includes a range of motion, that they are less likely to be injured,” says Dr. Steven Knauf, VP of chiropractic and compliance at The Joint Chiropractic. “A properly functioning body begins with the spine, but chiropractors also adjust other joints on the body.”
The holistic approach of chiropractic seeks to get every part of the body working together in the way it was designed to function and interact. This support goes a long way toward lowering the risk of injury.
Can chiropractic care help with common high school basketball injuries?
No matter how careful a player is, injuries will happen occasionally. Naturally, you want your teen athlete to receive treatment to reduce pain and heal quickly. Chiropractors find subluxations in the spine and joints and look to improve them with adjustments. They may also work with soft tissue.
These adjustments may facilitate healing, speeding the recovery process while reducing inflammation and pain. Most of the common basketball injuries involve lower body joints. Maintaining and improving joint health is a focus for many chiropractors.
A chiropractor can also recommend stretches and techniques the athlete can perform as the injury heals to help the process and prevent recurrence.
Can chiropractic care help basketball players play better?
Enhanced performance is the goal of every athlete, whether a young basketball player or an NBA star. Routine chiropractic care may assist this goal; when the spine and joints are correctly aligned and functioning over their full range of motion, and the nervous system operates without interference, an athlete’s body can perform optimally. It may not make them a better shooter, but it might allow them the extension to follow through better with their shot or get maximum lift while trying to rebound.
Spinal manipulation can relieve pressure on the spinal cord. Some clinical studies show that this may improve reflexes and reaction time, assets for any athlete.
Sport is a game of inches, and chiropractic may be the difference.
Top NCAA programs know the value of chiropractic. The University of Maryland Terrapins basketball team has entered a partnership with The Joint Chiropractic.
Professionals have also benefitted from seeing a chiropractor. The GOAT himself, Michael Jordan, swore by chiropractic throughout his illustrious career. If it helped MJ, it could certainly help high schoolers.
As a parent of a student-athlete, you want your budding star to stay healthy and reach his or her full potential. The Joint Chiropractic has clinics throughout the country. You don’t need an appointment or insurance (it takes neither). Bring in your teen athlete and discover the benefits of chiropractic.
The information, including but not limited to text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this page, is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics, including but not limited to the benefits of chiropractic care, exercise, and nutrition. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician, or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.