Ive been playing basketball for about 8 years or so and im 15 but ive been playing serious basketball for about 4 years, in those 4 years i would play basketball for sometimes 3,4,5 hours just playing at the gym with friends and serious playing. I got the knee problem probably about 2 years ago its been hurting everytime i play basketball and i never go to the doctor and i never wear a knee brace because it feels to me like a punk move and thats just not how i am. So now its beginning to effect the way i play i cant run as fast as i can anymore and it starts to hurt after about the first game or two that i play and now its really gettin on my nerves, and also when i just lay around the house and this can happen anytime in the day even if i didnt play basketball, when i bend my knee it cracks, then when i let it go and pops again then when i bend it again it cracks and i can do it for like the whole day and im just 15 so what do you think i should do? and what do you think is wrong?
2007-03-03 11:24:03 · 4 answers · asked by Who Me? 4 in Sports ➔ Basketball
I have this same exact problem. It's called Osgood Schlatter. Eventually you will grow this out. All you can do is either run through the pain or wrap it. I've been playing basketball for a while now, with this problem, and I had to wrap my knees. That gave my knee caps more support and not nearly as much pain. I developed this knee problem about 2 years ago, and it's not as occuring as it was before. I can say, I totally know how you feel! It sucks. But this is one of those problems that you can't do much. I recommend you do some research on Osgood Schlatter and hang in there! Keep in mind, I fought through it, you can too!
2007-03-03 11:33:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your knee is developing a bump on the front just below the kneecap, then you have Osgood-Schlatter's Disease. It's simply an inflammation of the tendons connecting your kneecap and your shinbone. I would play football every day after school with my friends in middle school and I got the same thing. I asked my doctor about it and he told me the above. Pretty much the only way to treat it is to rest it. Sometime's icing my knees helped me as well. When it was really bad, I would take a hot bath and just sit in there for hours, which seemed to help a lot. The bump will be there for the rest of your life, but the pain will go away when you are less active. Also, I've seen guards, which are pretty much knee bands, that basketball players slip on where the bump is. That way it doesn't hurt quite as much when you fall on the hardwood. The guard's aren't as restricting as a knee brace, so you should like that.
2007-03-03 20:16:00 · answer #2 · answered by Mark R 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As much as you'll hate it, I think the best advice is to take a break from running & jumping type activities for a while and rest your leg. You are only 15, so maybe a month would be enough, but only start up your sports gradually and be prepared to go back to rest if it starts acting up again.
Just because you're young doesn't make you immune from injury, but it might increase the risk that you won't treat it seriously, which could lead to more long term problems.
You could try something different, like swimming or weightlifting for a while.
I'm not a doctor, but I am an athlete who was injured in a similar fashion, and I did see a doctor about it. Since I am older, I have had to rest much longer (over a year) but the injury is fading and I am able to gradually get back to sports (finally!).
Good luck with that!
P.S. I'm not sure about Chelsey's answer because you don't mention a bump, but I did find a ref. that might be helpful (see below).
2007-03-03 19:34:07 · answer #3 · answered by Eclectic_N 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to take that very seriously, I had knee surgery on my knee 10 years ago when I tore my acl. You might have had a partial tear, tendon or fluid around the knee cap problems. I myself got hurt playing b ball. Serious injuries and playing while hurt will have an affect on you even 5 years from now. Playing under these conditions can cause cartilage deterioration and rubbing of bones which is really painful, and cause you to be weaker in that leg. Get it checked out might be something serious that was overlooked.
2007-03-03 19:34:22 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋