In my practice, I take care of many athletes ranging in age from 10 and up. Many of the injuries I see are related to over training and overuse. Common things I see in the clinic on a daily basis include but are not limited to:

  • Tendonitis
  • Shin splints
  • IT Band Syndrome
  • Patellofemoral pain
  • AC joint pain/arthritis

The list can go on and on.  There are many factors (inherent and training related) that contribute to such problems.  I personally believe many problems can be prevented with better education, smarter training, coaching predicated on individuality and physical response, and of course adding in more recovery.  Cross training is also a must – just look at what sport specialization at an early age has done to current injury rates.

You need not look any further than the declining age of patients walking through the door with what I term “repetitive microtrauma” injuries.  I saw a 14 year old cross country female runner a few weeks ago who had her second stress reaction injury inside of 12 months.  In addition, the rise in the number of Tommy John surgeries performed in the past decade with respect to those having them at an earlier age may serve as a harsh warning sign about doing too much too soon or doing too much of the same thing year round.

I say all this simply to say we must not be oblivious to the rise in these types of mechanical injuries.  Throwing, swimming, and running are all activities that become dangerous if done in excess, and they also produce predictable injury patterns.   So, if you are curious about some risk factors and how to better balance your training and manage these types of injuries, then check out a webinar I just did for Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic last week (click on the screen shot below to view the webinar)

screen-shot-overuse-injuries

This presentation is ideal for athletes, parents, weekend warriors and sports coaches looking for practical, straightforward information on this topic with some foundational guidelines that can be applied objectively and immediately to injury management and recovery.  If this information helps just one person avoid an injury or accelerate their recovery then I will be thrilled!  Please feel free to forward this post to friends, share it on FB or tweet it!