What is an overuse injury?
Injuries are of two types: acute injuries and overuse injuries. Acute injuries occur due to a single, traumatic event whereas overuse injuries occur over a period of time, are more subtle and difficult to diagnose and treat. For example, wrist fractures, shoulder dislocations, and ankle sprains are all acute injuries. Examples of overuse injuries are tennis elbow, swimmer’s shoulder, runner’s knee, Pitcher’s elbow, Achilles tendinitis, and shin splints. The latter are caused due to repetitive micro-trauma to the tendons, bones, and joints.
Why do overuse injuries occur?
Our body has an immense capacity and can adapt to physical stress. Usually, people believe that stress is has a negative impact on our health and wellbeing. On the contrary, physical stress is beneficial to the human body. It is exercise and activity for our body, the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Physical stress actually makes them stronger and more functional due to a process is known as remodeling. This process is internal and includes both the buildup of tissue and its breakdown. A fine balance is maintained in the body. When the balance is disturbed, it leads to injury. For example, when the breakdown of tissue is faster than the buildup, the result is an overuse injury.
What factors cause overuse injuries?
One of the most common reasons for overuse injuries is training errors. For example, a very quick acceleration of the duration, intensity, or frequency of activity during training can cause errors. It can also happen when people come back to sporting activity after an injury and try to catch up by working hard to achieve the level of participation they were at before the injury. One needs to avoid overuse injuries due to slight changes in form and adopt the proper technique. The role of the coach, athletic trainer, and teacher is crucial in preventing recurring overuse injuries. It may well be that some people are more predisposed to such injuries than others due to an imbalance between flexibility and strength in certain joints. Factors such as knock-knees, bowlegs, flat or arched feet, different lengths of legs, and other alignment issues can cause overuse injuries. Other factors include incompletely rehabilitated injuries and weak links caused by old injuries. Inappropriate gear or equipment, such as the type of running shoe or ballet shoe, the surface (whether it is hard or soft) in running, and aerobic dance is also a cause.
How can we diagnose overuse injuries?
A thorough physical examination and history need to be done to diagnose overuse injuries. Ideally, a sports medicine specialist with a specific interest in knowledge of the sporting activity will be able to do it best. He or she may require X-rays and other additional tests such as an MRI or bone scan.
What is the treatment for overuse injuries?
Sports injury statistics indicate that almost 50% of all injuries of middle and high school athletes are overuse injuries. Every year around 3.5 million children are treated for overuse injuries. Treatment for overuse injuries includes several tips: 1) Maintain fitness by adopting a workout schedule that is appropriate (easy/hard) and cross-training; 2) Reducing the intensity, duration, and frequency of activity. 3) Learning proper training techniques from the athletic trainer or coach. 4) Undertake suitable warm-up activities before and after. 5) Applying ice after activity for minor pain and aches. 6) Administering anti-inflammatory medicines, if required. A sports medicine specialist can create a detailed treatment plan for an individual’s specific condition after carrying out a thorough evaluation. In addition, physiotherapy and athletic training services can also be beneficial.
At simply Align physiotherapy chiropractic. We use advanced modalities such as shockwave laser and radio frequency to alleviate pain and heal you faster. We are located both in Toronto Scarborough and Vaughan Woodbridge. In the video below you see the treatment of a hand overuse injury.
Can overuse injuries be prevented?
With proper training and common sense, one can prevent overuse injuries to a large extent. You must learn to listen to your body and follow a few Do’s and Don’ts. Do not increase your training program or activity by more than 10% each week to take it to the next level. Give your body sufficient time to recover and respond. The 10% rule also applies to the amount of weight added in strength training programs or increasing mileage for runners and walkers. Do not forget to warm up and cool down before and after each activity. Include flexibility, strength training, and improving core stability to help reduce overuse injuries. Always follow the advice of a sports medicine specialist or athletic trainer when you take up any sports or exercise program to prevent any problems. The program can be modified, if required, to maintain overall fitness in case you sustain an injury. Return to the activity or sport only after getting a clearance from the healthcare professional.
Are you looking for physiotherapy or a Chiropractor? If Yes, then visit Simply Align Rehab Physio in Scarborough/Toronto or Woodbridge/Vaughan or you can always call or text us for your Physiotherapy or Chiropractor needs in Toronto at (416) 438-3230 or For Physiotherapy or Chiropractor need in Vaughan (Woodbridge) at (905) 638-9840.
