Head, Shoulders, Knees... oh no!

A common theme when it comes to injures is that they are caused from overuse. The repetitive motion that a single joint does over and over during a practice or game can end up doing more damage on your body that you think.

Senior Courtney Jacob shoots a
three pointer in a game against Fullerton.
Photo credit Long Beach State Athletics

Knee injuries are no different.  Knee pain is usually the result of overuse, poor form during physical activity, not warming up or cooling down, or inadequate stretching as mentioned on the Medline Plus page about knee pain. Senior basketball player, Courtney Jacobs, knows all about knee injuries.

Jacob’s knee pain started when she was in high school and felt an aggravating pain in her right knee which turned out to that she severely damaged the cartilage leading her to have microfracture surgery.  Microfracture surgery is a procedure where doctors insert a long thin device called an arthroscope that has an attached camera allowing the surgeon to see inside the knee and work directly on the joint area said an article about microfrature surgery on Medline Plus.  This surgery happens when there are small amounts of cartilage damage on the underside of the kneecap and helps people avoid the need for partial or full knee replacements.

Medline Plus also mentions that a risk for microfracture surgery is that the new cartilage made in the surgery is not as strong as the body’s original cartilage and my break down after a few years.  The patient may also experience increased stiffness in the knee after the surgery.

"I knew I wanted to [come back and play]," Jacob told the Daily49er. "But my physical capability of being able to come back was definitely tested.

Another knee injury keep Jacob on the sidelines most of the 2009-10 season. This time it was the left knee and a similar injury and surgery as the right knee. Full recovery after surgery takes about three to five months and rehab is a critical part in making a full recovery said an article on Sports injury info.

"There were a lot of nights where I was like, ‘I don't know if I'm going to be able to do it,'"said Jacob.

After many months of rehabilitation, a few road blocks, and a specialist in Los Angeles, Jacobs was able to get back out on the court for her last season and helped her team move up three spots in conference standings.