A Guide to Preventing and Treating Possible Injuries in Basketball

As someone who’s spent years both on the court and studying sports medicine, I’ve seen firsthand how a single play can change a season. It’s a stark reminder that basketball, for all its beauty and flow, is a game of immense physical demand where injuries are not a matter of if, but when. The recent news about Poy Erram of TNT in the PBA playoffs really brings this home. After his team’s crucial Game 5 win, he revealed, “Wala eh, hindi talaga kakayanin. Nagpa-MRI kami kanina. Nagkaroon ng meniscal tear ‘yung left leg ko. Ngayon namamaga siya, kailangan ko pa-surgery.” That sequence—from the high of a playoff victory to the sobering reality of an MRI result and impending surgery for a meniscal tear—encapsulates the brutal duality of professional sports. It’s a scenario that resonates with players at every level, and it perfectly frames our discussion: a comprehensive guide to preventing and, when necessary, treating the common injuries that plague our game.

Let’s start with the foundation: prevention. I’m a firm believer that at least 60% of serious injuries are avoidable with proper preparation, a number many in my field would argue is conservative. It begins far before you step on the court for a game. A dynamic warm-up is non-negotiable; I’ve moved away from static stretching pre-activity and instead focus on movements that increase heart rate, mobilize joints, and activate muscles—leg swings, walking lunges with a twist, high knees, and sport-specific shuffles. This prepares your body for the explosive actions to come. Strength training, particularly for the often-neglected areas, is your best insurance policy. The knee, as in Erram’s case, is a complex hinge. Strengthening the muscles around it—the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves—creates a natural brace. I always emphasize single-leg exercises like Bulgarian split squats or single-leg Romanian deadlifts; they build stability and address imbalances that can lead to trouble. Similarly, ankle stability work, using resistance bands for inversions and eversions, can drastically reduce the risk of those all-too-common sprains. And we cannot overlook load management. The body needs time to adapt and recover. I advise my athletes to follow a rough 10% rule—avoid increasing your weekly training volume or intensity by more than 10% from the previous week. This is where many passionate players, especially younger ones, go wrong. They love the game so much they play year-round without adequate rest, and that chronic stress is a precursor to overuse injuries like patellar tendinitis or stress fractures.

Despite our best efforts, injuries happen. The key is in the immediate and informed response. The moment you feel a pop, a sharp twist, or significant pain, the game is over for you. This is where Erram’s example, though unfortunate, is instructive. He sought professional diagnosis (the MRI) immediately. For acute injuries like ankle sprains or muscle strains, the age-old RICE protocol (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) is your first 48-hour go-to, though some now advocate for PEACE (Protect, Elevate, Avoid anti-inflammatories, Compress, Educate) and LOVE (Load, Optimism, Vascularization, Exercise) for later stages. My personal twist? I’m cautious with ice beyond the initial inflammatory phase, as I believe controlled inflammation is part of the healing signal. For a suspected meniscus tear, like the one Erram suffered, the path is more defined. The meniscus is that crucial cartilage cushion in your knee, and tears often occur with planting and twisting motions. Not all require surgery; smaller, stable tears on the outer, vascularized part can heal with rest and rehab. But larger, unstable tears, or “bucket-handle” tears that cause locking, typically do require arthroscopic surgery. The success rate for these procedures is high, around 85-90% for returning to pre-injury activity levels, but the rehab is a marathon, not a sprint. It involves weeks of focused work to restore range of motion, rebuild strength without compromising the repair, and gradually re-introduce sport-specific movements.

The journey back is the true test. Rehabilitation is a collaborative process between you, your physiotherapist, and your own patience. I’ve seen too many athletes rush this phase, only to suffer a re-injury. Post-surgery or post-injury, the focus shifts from simple healing to restoring function. It’s progressive and often frustratingly slow. For a knee, it might start with quad sets and straight-leg raises, move to stationary biking, then to controlled squats, and eventually to agility drills. The mental aspect here is huge. Staying engaged with your team, visualizing plays, and working on other aspects of your game (like free-throw shooting or film study) can keep that competitive fire alive during the downtime. Nutrition also plays a starring role in recovery. Increasing protein intake to around 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight can support tissue repair, and ensuring you get enough vitamin C, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids can help modulate inflammation. Ultimately, the goal of treatment isn’t just to get back on the court, but to come back stronger and more resilient than before, with a deeper understanding of your body’s mechanics and limits.

So, what’s the takeaway from Erram’s situation and the broader landscape of basketball injuries? It’s that an intelligent, proactive approach is your greatest asset. Prevention through targeted strength, smart warm-ups, and listening to your body is paramount. But when injury strikes, a clear-headed response—prompt professional assessment, disciplined early care, and a committed, patient rehabilitation—defines your path back. The game will always have its risks. Our job as players, coaches, and supporters of the sport is to minimize those risks through knowledge and preparation, and to navigate the recovery journey with respect for the process. Because the love of the game is what drives us, and protecting our ability to play it is the most important victory of all.