Summer Fun, Not Summer Pain: Avoiding Overuse Injuries
Summer is here! Don’t let an overuse injury bench your athletes when they should be out enjoying the sun and beating the competition. It's important to understand how to prevent these common setbacks. Our sports medicine doctors have more on how to avoid the pain of overuse injuries and keep your athletes active and healthy all summer long.
What Are Overuse Injuries?
Overuse injuries occur from repetitive motions or excessive stress on muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Unlike acute injuries, such as a sprained ankle or a pulled muscle, overuse injuries develop gradually over time. They often start as minor aches and pains, but these pains can worsen into more serious injuries if left unchecked. Some summertime overuse injuries commonly seen by our sports medicine doctors include:
- Runner's Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome): Pain around the kneecap, generally caused by repetitive running or jumping.
- Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): Pain on the outside of the elbow, common in racquet sports.
- Golfer's Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis): Pain on the inside of the elbow, often caused by repetitive swinging motions.
- Swimmer's Shoulder (Rotator Cuff Tendinitis/Impingement): Shoulder pain and weakness, common in swimmers due to repetitive arm movements.
- Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome): Pain along the shinbone, often caused by running on hard surfaces or increasing activity too quickly.
- Achilles Tendinitis: Inflammation of the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone, commonly seen in runners and jumpers.
Summer Overuse Injury Prevention
Thankfully, overuse injuries can generally be prevented by taking a few precautions as your athletes engage in their favorite activities. First, make sure your athletes ease into new activity. They may be enthusiastic about improving their golf game, for instance; but it is important to gradually increase the intensity and duration of their conditioning so that their body has time to adapt. Be sure to also include a warm-up with the activity to engage the muscles and prepare them for movement. Adding a cooldown will also relieve soreness and help prevent injury. Cross-training can also be beneficial in that it helps to avoid overloading one muscle group.
Proper technique is important in many sports that require specific movement patterns and body positioning, like swimming, weight lifting, or tennis, to name a few. Emphasize proper technique to help your athletes prevent injury as well as improve their game.
Keep in mind that rest and recovery are also important in your athletes’ training and in preventing overuse injuries. Give them time to recover and repair damaged muscle tissues so they can get back to their activity stronger than before.
Enjoy Summer Activities Free of Injury
Remind your athletes to listen to their body, progress gradually, and prioritize rest and recovery to avoid overuse injuries. Our experts at Tri-County Orthopedics want all athletes to get out there and have a great, active summer free of pain.
If one of your athletes finds themselves with aches or pains or an acute injury, be sure to schedule an appointment with one of our sports medicine doctors for an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plan. Please request an appointment online or call (973) 538-2334 today.
