By Blair Smith
An overuse injury is damage to a bone, muscle, ligament, or tendon due to repetitive activity without allowing time for the body to heal. This type of injury occurs when a person tries to do too much physical activity too quickly. Injuries of this nature can happen to a person at any age, but are seen most often in children and teens. Young athlete’s bones are not able to recover quickly to stress.
Training errors can occur when athletes practice. They may do too much physical activity too quickly, such as going too fast, exercising for long periods of time without proper conditioning, or doing too much of one type of physical activity. All of these errors can lead to overuse injuries. Errors in an athlete’s technique can take a toll on the body. If an athlete has the wrong technique, their improper form can put too much strain on their muscles, causing serious injury. When an athlete is learning a new sport the coach should make sure the athletes’ form is correct and be sure that they have a well-rounded training plan with scheduled rest. The most common injuries are swimmers with shoulder pain and runners with shin splints, tendonitis or a stress fracture.
There are five ways to help prevent overuse injuries:
- Prepare and address medical conditions: The athlete should make sure they are prepared to play the sport by going to see a physician for a physical exam. It is also important for the physician to know about any medical conditions or limitations that an athlete may have, because this can lead to serious problems if they are not addressed. In addition, the athlete should maintain good fitness during the off-season.
- Play smart and use proper form: Athletes should avoid focusing on only one sport before they reach puberty. Children that play one sport for too long often have some injury and become burnt out before college. Participation in a particular sport should be practiced and played no more than five days a week. The athlete should be educated on the proper form for participation in the activity.
- Rest up and pace yourself: Athletes should take one day off per week to help with physical and mental recovery. After the season, athletes should take two to three months off from a specific sport.
- Training increase: Training time, mileage, or repetition should be gradually increased each week. Endurance athletes should cross train by swimming, biking or using elliptical trainers.
- Mix up your routine: Keep your child’s practice fun and age appropriate. For older athletes, mix up the routine and by planning a workout schedule that includes running in the water instead of running or doing Pilates class to strengthen your core.
Whether you’re a parent of young athletes or if you are an older athlete, create a well-rounded routine that will allow regular physical activity for a lifetime. All types of athletes need to listen to their bodies in order to live a fit and healthy lifestyle to prevent injuries.
Work cited:
“Preventing Overuse Injuries.” HealthyChildren.org. Academy of Pediatrics, 2012. Web. 25 July 2012. <http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/sports-injuries/pages/Preventing-Overuse-Injuries.aspx>.
Staff, Mayo Clinic. “Overuse Injury: How to Prevent Training Injuries.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 05 Mar. 2010. Web. 25 July 2012. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/overuse-injury/MY01092/METHOD=print>.
