It's Saturday Night
Some of the most common types of overuse injuries are:
anterior knee pain: Anterior knee pain is pain in the front of the knee under the kneecap. The knee will be sore and swollen due to tendon or cartilage inflammation. The cause is usually muscle tightness in the hamstrings or quadriceps, the major muscle groups around the thigh.
Little League elbow: Repetitive throwing sometimes results in pain and tenderness in the elbow. The ability to flex and extend the arm may be affected, but the pain typically occurs after the follow-through of the throw. In addition to pain, pitchers sometimes complain of loss of velocity or decreased endurance.
swimmer's shoulder: Swimmer's shoulder is an inflammation (swelling) of the shoulder caused by the repeated stress of the overhead motion associated with swimming or throwing a ball. The pain typically begins intermittently but may progress to continuous pain in the back of the shoulder.
shin splints: Shin splints are characterized by pain and discomfort on the front of the lower parts of the legs. They are often caused by repeated running on a hard surface or overtraining at the beginning of a season.
spondylolysis: Spondylolysis often results from trauma or from repetitive flexing, then overextension, twisting, or compression of the back muscles. This can cause persistent lower back pain. Spondylolysis is commonly seen in kids who participate in soccer, football, weight lifting, gymnastics, wrestling, and diving.
Overuse injuries can be caused or aggravated by:
growth spurts or an imbalance between strength and flexibility
inadequate warm-up
excessive activity (for example, increased intensity, duration, or frequency of playing and/or training)
playing the same sport year-round or multiple sports during the same season
improper technique (for example, overextending on a pitch)
unsuitable equipment (for example, nonsupportive athletic shoes)
Reinjuries
Another common sports injury is reinjury. Reinjury occurs when an athlete returns to the sport before a previous injury has sufficiently healed. An athlete is at a much greater risk for reinjury when he or she returns to the game before fully recovered. Returning to the playing field before a previous injury has completely healed places stress upon the injury and forces the body to compensate for the weakness, which can put the athlete at greater risk for injuring another body part.
Reinjury can be avoided by allowing the injury to completely heal. Once your doctor has approved a return to the sport, make sure that your child properly warms up and cools down before and after exercise. Sudden exertion can also cause reinjury, so your child should re-enter the sport gradually. Explain that easing back into the game at a sensible pace is better than returning to the hospital!
