Basketball

Hamstring Strain

The hamstring muscles (group of 3) run from the back of the knee up to the bottom of your pelvis. The muscles assist in many movements but their main action is to bend the knee, pulling the heel towards the bottom. They are commonly shortened through a lack of stretching both before and/or after exercise. They can be damaged through over-stretching or over use whilst playing sport or in the gym.

Symptoms:

  • Change to gait
  • Tenderness and pain – especially whilst stretching
  • Feeling that ‘it’s going to go’ where the muscle strain has occurred

Article from ‘DrFoot’

Understanding how the hamstrings work give vital clues as to their modes of injury

Ankle Sprain

This is the most common cause for ankle pain and happens when the ankle twists spraining ligaments either on the inside (eversion sprain) or outside (inversion sprain) of the ankle. Rolling over the ankle into an inversion sprain is the most common. There are 3 key ligaments on the outside of the ankle and often the anterior talofibula ligament (which joins the leg to the ankle at the front) will be damaged as your weight rolls over the ankle.

Symptoms:

  • Pain and tenderness over the outside (inversion) or inside (eversion) of the ankle
  • Pain whilst weight bearing and walking, often causing a limp
  • Swelling and characteristic bruises around the malleolus (boney parts of ankle)

Article on Ankle Sprains from Physio Room

Most common damage sustained in a sprained ankle is to the anterior talofibular ligament