What is overuse injuries

Overuse injuries are sports-related injuries that result from repetitive use. Some common types include:. But they also need to rest and rebuild between the episodes of stress. With an overuse injury the muscle or tendon receives the stress, but never gets a chance to rest.

The pain from overuse injuries tends to intensify in stages:. Growth plates do make kids more susceptible to overuse injuries. Growth plates are towards the ends of the bones and are not as ossified as the bones themselves — creating, in essence, an area of weaker bone. And because of that weakness, if a drill or move is pulling on that area over and over, it causes injuries to the growth plates.

And by continuing to play with trauma to an area, the player will worsen the injury. While overuse injuries occur equally in boys and girls, adolescent girls have a particular vulnerability.

Some — cross-country runners and gymnasts, in particular — can have menstrual dysfunction amenorrhea , in which they no longer get their periods. With the advent of organized sports — especially those requiring intensive, repetitive drills — the incidence of overuse injuries has increased dramatically.

Youth and adolescent participation in organized sports has grown to about 35 to 40 million kids across the United States. Not surprisingly, the incidence of sports injuries is rising — statistics suggest that 30 to 60 percent of student athletes will have an overuse injury at some point in time.

Gymnastics is very hard on young female bodies. Other sports that cause undue stress on young female bones are running, basketball and cheerleading. Parents and coaches have a great deal of influence — for better or for worse. Parents and coaches should stress moderation in training and should restrain the zeal with which they push youth and teens.

Coaches should themselves learn and use proper training techniques and avoid too many repetitive drills, since the overwhelming reason for overuse injuries is overuse — repeating movements too much, resulting in microtraumas.

Coaches should also teach proper motion techniques for such activities such as throwing or running. Physical education departments should make sure that the surfaces of a playground, track or field are in good shape, and that proper equipment, footwear and protective gear are used for each sport.

Surgery especially if the injury is reoccurring, there is persistent pain, or if a muscle, tendon, or ligament is badly torn. Overuse injuries heal quite quickly in children. Most sports injuries are due to either traumatic injury or overuse of muscles or joints. Many sports injuries can be prevented with proper conditioning and training, wearing appropriate protective gear, and using proper equipment. Health Home Conditions and Diseases.

What are the most common types of overuse injuries? Jumper's knee patellar tendonitis Symptoms: Tenderness right below the knee or the upper shin area. Possible cause: The patellar tendon in the knee joint is repeatedly pulled on, causing inflammation and pain, especially during jumping activities. Little Leaguers' elbow or shoulder Symptoms: Pain in the elbow or shoulder area, especially after activity. These injuries can involve the muscle-tendon unit, bone, bursa, neurovascular structures, and the physis growth plate in pediatric athletes.

A few common examples of overuse injuries include shoulder impingement , lateral epicondylitis tennis elbow , and stress fractures.

Here are some tips to help avoid injury: Allow your body adequate time to recover. Warm up and cool down after workouts. Introduce cross-training into your workout routine. Increase at a rate no faster than 10 percent per week.

Listen to your body. Related Services Rehabilitation Services. Steven E. Mayer, MD. Rated 4. Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group. You Might Also Like. You are using an unsupported browser Please consider using one of these supported browsers Chrome Edge Safari Firefox.