whenever I play ball my knees hurt

I've noticed whenever I play ball my knees hurt when i bend down low to shoot a jumpshot, or just jump overall.. Have any of you experienced this before.. is it something that will go away over time.. I can play through the pain but want to see if any of u guys experienced something like this

Yeah, have had a ton of knee pain over the years.

A more long term, difficult solution for me was weight training. It really helped me strengthen my legs, and stabilize my knee a bit.

An easier route were some fitted running shoes, or just a good pair of basketball shoes (not as effective, but it's okay..). Also, those neoprene knee sleeves help tremendously. Keep your knee very warm, feels great.

A lot of the time, all you gotta do is have a few days rest, unless you haven't done so already.

[QUOTE=Junny]A lot of the time, all you gotta do is have a few days rest, unless you haven't done so already.[/QUOTE]
Thx guys

But yea I take breaks.. but they only hurt when I bend low even when i dont play for a few days. When I walk its fine and when I slightly bend down its fine too but when I bend low it hurts. I think imma just workout my legs more often because I weight train but dont focus in on my legs so much, so imma see how that goes.

could have jumpers knee or could be growing pains. most likely your bones just arn't strong enough.

Do you stretch before playing?

Definitely agree with weight training taking stress off your knees/legs for the long term.

But it could also be growing pains. When I was in 7th-8th grade my growth spurt started and the first thing to start killing me was my knees. Then I had another growth spurt in 10th grade and my back was killing me. Nothing you can really do about it except ice yourself after every practice and wait for the pain to go away. But the good news is once you grow out of it, your knees will be fine until you're in your late 20's/early 30's (if you're training right).

And uh the most obvious thing is keep fat off your body. :cheers:

[url]http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/knee-pain/DS00555/DSECTION=symptoms[/url]

It's most likely one of those. If I were to guess, I would say it's Chondromalacia patella which is a common cause of kneecap pain or anterior knee pain. Often called "Runner's Knee," this condition often affects young, otherwise healthy athletes.

Chondromalacia is due to an irritation of the undersurface of the kneecap. The undersurface of the kneecap, or patella, is covered with a layer of smooth cartilage. This cartilage normally glides effortlessly across the knee during bending of the joint. However, in some individuals, the kneecap tends to rub against one side of the knee joint, and the cartilage surface become irritated, and knee pain is the result. [url]http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/patelladisorders/a/chondromalacia.htm[/url]

I experienced pain a while ago in my right knee after playing bball for 7 days straight. I couldn't bend my knee very far or move laterally without pain. I rested for a couple weeks and it went away. I started doing the VJB and it came back a little so I bought some knee brace things. I just went to CVS Pharmacy and bought them for 20 bucks (each) and they have made a big difference. Put it this way, I couldn't play for an extended period of time without them. If I were you, I would rest for a while, then buy yourself some of these. You can wear a sleeve as well and then put the brace over it that would probably work really well tho might be a little overkill.

Be sure when you do weight training not to go down past parallel though on exercises like squats, that will only screw it up even more. Wait until you don't have any pain to start weight training too. Resting sucks when you want to play... but you just have to.

[QUOTE=Swaggin916] Resting sucks when you want to play... but you just have to.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I've got some really painful shin splints I've been dealing with for a month now, lucky if I can play twice a week (when they flare up I can barely jump off the ground, it affects my game so much I don't want to play when they're bad). Typically I can play once a week and be fine that one day I play (even than I can't play more than 2-3 hrs without them flaring up again). If I try playing 2-3 days within the last tim I played, forget it, can't jump, just not worth going out on the court. I train legs pretty rigorously in the gym about 3 days after I play ball, this doesn't bother my shins at all. I started playing solely indoors about a month ago, also ice my shins down religiously after any leg training. Bought a new pair of shoes, and compression sleeves for my calves a couple weeks ago. Anyone have any tips, these things are really starting to get to me. Also, I massage my calves to the best of my ability a few minutes a few times a week. I know I need to start incoporating some more stretching and some take a little longer to warm up (usually up flying around dunking on people about 5 min withing walking in the gym, can't help it, lol). Any advice would be appreciated.

Also, I'm starting a league in two weeks, I plan (sometimes the urge to go play is way to tempting) on taking off from leg training/playing until than in hopes that they could fully heal by than.

[IMG]https://www.shop.eclecticsilver.net/osc/catalog/images/Zensah%20Knee%20Sleeve.gif[/IMG]

i wear those, padded compression shorts, a sleeve on my left arm all because of how crappy my body is because of throwing myself down stairs as a youth

[QUOTE=HylianNightmare][IMG]https://www.shop.eclecticsilver.net/osc/catalog/images/Zensah%20Knee%20Sleeve.gif[/IMG]

i wear those, padded compression shorts, a sleeve on my left arm all because of how crappy my body is because of [B]throwing myself down stairs as a youth[/B][/QUOTE]

LOL WHAT!

Sucks for you guys going through those pains. I don't have any chronic problems, but I've had to play through/sit out at times when I got injured due to a kick to the shin, undercutting, banging down low and hyperenxtending the knee. All those injuries gave me temporary problems weeks after they healed, but when I recovered I never had a problem.

[QUOTE=Automajic23]LOL WHAT!

Sucks for you guys going through those pains. I don't have any chronic problems, but I've had to play through/sit out at times when I got injured due to a kick to the shin, undercutting, banging down low and hyperenxtending the knee. All those injuries gave me temporary problems weeks after they healed, but when I recovered I never had a problem.[/QUOTE]

i used to skateboard pretty hardcore back in the day so after throwing myself down all those stairs and bid drops my knees and back are pretty muched wrecked

[QUOTE=HylianNightmare]i used to skateboard pretty hardcore back in the day so after throwing myself down all those stairs and bid drops my knees and back are pretty muched wrecked[/QUOTE]

ahhhhh i see

I believe my knees hurt only when I jump around a lot while playing basketball. And usually rest will help me with that. However, the worst pains that have occurred to me are sort of back spasms, they rarely occur, but when they do I just feel like ****. It sucks and I don't think it's normal for someone who is 19 to have back spasms but I don't know.

No one has any input on my shin splint issue? lol... I'm trying everything to my knowledge... figure there has to be someone else who balls outta control with bad shin splints... and the remedy for them, lol :D

[QUOTE=HylianNightmare][IMG]https://www.shop.eclecticsilver.net/osc/catalog/images/Zensah%20Knee%20Sleeve.gif[/IMG][/QUOTE]

I use one of those in my left leg to make some pression on my ligaments.

I've been getting that lately since I've been playing for a few hours a day and trying to run afterwards. It sucks, but I think it's unavoidable. From what I've read, the best thing to do is to strengthen your core (or maybe that just helps with back pain?), lose weight, and do weight training with your legs.

If you play for a few hours a day for enough days in a row... you will get knee problems. There is no time for rest and recovery and eventually they will break down... or some other part of your legs will break down.

That was my problem growing up. I'd play a few hours 6 days a week every week. No weight training. That along with growth spurts hurt like hell.

Now that I'm older I strength train and play ball Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Take Wednesday and weekends completely off doing anything physical. I feel better athletically than I ever did. When I'm in a shooting slump it's hell taking days off. I just wanna be in the gym shooting like I used to. But it's necessary taking days off and letting your body heal.

[QUOTE=Swaggin916]If you play for a few hours a day for enough days in a row... you will get knee problems. There is no time for rest and recovery and eventually they will break down... or some other part of your legs will break down.[/QUOTE]

Damn, I never knew that, I ball at least an hour a day almost every day should I stop doing this?

If the original poster is a young one (early to mid teens) I'd throw in the possibility of the aforementioned growing pains. Or more specifically, Osgood Schlatters Disease, which is basically a rupturing of a growth plate near the knees generated by accelerated growth.

I spent the latter part of my 8th grade year on into the cusp of my 9th grade year with these knee pains. It was a lot of intermittent play, then ice, then play, then ice. Luckily, people do "grow" out of this condition, if you will.

You should go see a doctor because depending on what kind of pain it is you might need treatment.

[QUOTE=BlueCrayon]Damn, I never knew that, I ball at least an hour a day almost every day should I stop doing this?[/QUOTE]

Well the key word there is almost... That means you are getting some rest. The real key is to just not play too many days in a row. I would recommend at least taking a day off after 2 days... but different people can handle different things and you might be alright while your young. When it starts to hurt tho... you have to stop. You don't want to end up like me... I have pain just getting in and out of the car... and I'm only 21.

Get a knee brace, And stretch before games!

[QUOTE=fljumper]No one has any input on my shin splint issue? lol... I'm trying everything to my knowledge... figure there has to be someone else who balls outta control with bad shin splints... and the remedy for them, lol :D[/QUOTE]

First of all make sure your shoes are ok.

If you playing on concrete and getting shin splints it is quite standard. You want to stretch and warm up before you start playing, and honestly I think you want to just keep on trucking. One thing to take note of as has been said by other people is that you have to watch out for your knees.

You don't want to jump as hard. If you have very fast-twitch fibers you may very well have more vertical on a very hard concrete floor then you have on wood, but this doesn't mean that your joints, shins, and knees are ready for you to use this explosiveness. Almost no one tears muscles as a result of explosive athletic activity, it is always the joints that suffer, so you need to strengthen those.

Shin splints in particular though aren't an issue of joints it's an issue of how fast you stop, and change direction, so you want to stretch your ankle, and you want to practice quality running, and strengthen your front calves.

[QUOTE=DECK]I've noticed whenever I play ball my knees hurt when i bend down low to shoot a jumpshot, or just jump overall.. Have any of you experienced this before.. is it something that will go away over time.. I can play through the pain but want to see if any of u guys experienced something like this[/QUOTE]

I'd go see a doctor about this. I have some friends with this problem and they found out they have less cartilage in their knees than normal. I think they take some prescription drugs or over the counter health supplements now. Check out glucosamine on wikipedia.

[QUOTE=Kiarip]First of all make sure your shoes are ok.

If you playing on concrete and getting shin splints it is quite standard. You want to stretch and warm up before you start playing, and honestly I think you want to just keep on trucking. One thing to take note of as has been said by other people is that you have to watch out for your knees.

You don't want to jump as hard. If you have very fast-twitch fibers you may very well have more vertical on a very hard concrete floor then you have on wood, but this doesn't mean that your joints, shins, and knees are ready for you to use this explosiveness. Almost no one tears muscles as a result of explosive athletic activity, it is always the joints that suffer, so you need to strengthen those.

Shin splints in particular though aren't an issue of joints it's an issue of how fast you stop, and change direction, so you want to stretch your ankle, and you want to practice quality running, and strengthen your front calves.[/QUOTE]

I've recovered from shin splints that lasted several months a few years ago. I've tried many things among which are new shoes, higher arched soles, and stretching. I have to say I couldn't tell if they made any difference because it was only after I forced myself to rest and recover properly when the shin splints went away.

What I recommend is to stop playing basketball for 2 weeks minimum. Spend every day doing some light walking and jogging until you start feeling pain. When I started out, I was amazed to find out it only took me about 5 minutes for my shins to start heating up. But as the days went by I could jog farther and start running again. By the time the 2 weeks were over, I could play pickup an hour or two-hours at a time without any problems.

The key thing to remember is that you should stop whatever physical activity you're doing the moment you feel pain. It's similar when you lift weights. If you feel pain WHILE you're lifting, stop. If you feel sore AFTER, that's good. In this sense, I think it's true when they say listen to your body.

[QUOTE=fljumper]No one has any input on my shin splint issue? lol... I'm trying everything to my knowledge... figure there has to be someone else who balls outta control with bad shin splints... and the remedy for them, lol :D[/QUOTE]

Really late but I hope I can help people who read this post. Buy some Nike elite socks, and a good pair of basketball sneakers. Nike elite socks are a must they have helped my shin splints tremendously. I used to have it pretty bad until I purchased a pair. It's $15 for one pair but you can put a price on walking properly

[QUOTE=FreezingTsmoove]Really late but I hope I can help people who read this post. Buy some Nike elite socks, and a good pair of basketball sneakers. Nike elite socks are a must they have helped my shin splints tremendously. I used to have it pretty bad until I purchased a pair. It's $15 for one pair but you can put a price on walking properly[/QUOTE]

Really? Thanks I'll try it. I have had the worst shin splints for the past month now. I probably should rest but summers almost over so Im just playing as much as I can.

I've always had bad knees but weight-training helped immensely.

I have to be extra careful with landing after jumping as high as I can. This is why I haven't practiced dunking in years.

A big key for me is warming up slowly before adding stress to my legs/knees. I get the blood flowing for 5 minutes first before even jumping off the ground.