What are overuse injuries?

Overuse injuries are a regular occurrence in sports and can be difficult to detect and manage. These types of injuries are caused by a variety of circumstances. Some of the issues that doctors may have in the management of athletes with overuse injuries include diagnosis, therapy, and understanding why the condition happened.

Which of the following are the most prevalent overuse injuries?

Osgood-Schlatter disease is characterised by pain and swelling produced by the continual straining of the patellar tendon on the region below the knee where it joins to the shinbone.

Osteochondritis dissecans is a joint ailment characterised by the separation of a section of bone or cartilage from the remainder of the bone as a result of recurrent stress or trauma. It most commonly affects the knee and, on rare occasions, the elbow.

Sever's disease (calcaneal apophysitis) is characterised by heel discomfort and limping, particularly after jogging. Running or leaping movements that cause the Achilles tendon to strain on the heel bone induce Sever's disease.

Shin splints are characterised by pain and soreness in the shin region. Excessive jogging, running on hard surfaces, and incorrect shoe wear all contribute to shin splints.

Spondylolysis is a lower back stress fracture. Excessive flexion and extension of the low back causes spondylolysis, which is frequent among football linemen, gymnasts, and ice skaters.

Swimmer's shoulder (rotator cuff tendinitis and impingement): Caused by repetitive tension on the tendons around the shoulder, creating irritation and small rips in those tissues.

Tennis elbow (also known as golfer's elbow) is an inflammation, soreness, or discomfort on the outside (lateral) side of the upper arm near the elbow. Tennis elbow is caused by a partial tear in the tendon fibres that link the muscle to the bone.

Overuse injuries can cause pain and irritation. The pain from overuse injuries usually worsens in stages:

• The injury may initially cause little discomfort during training or sport.
• As the injury worsens, your child will experience continual agony while participating in sports.
• Finally, if left untreated, the damage is severe and the discomfort is continual, even when your child is not participating in the sport.

Overuse injuries can possibly be avoided in a number of ways, including:

• Exercise time should be limited to allow for proper rest and recuperation.
• Limiting the number of certain repeated motions (for example, the number of repetitions in a specific fitness regimen or specialised sport-specific tasks like pitch counts)
• When beginning a new hobby, make sure you use the right technique and equipment.
• Rather than boosting your activity level too rapidly, aim for a progressive increase to meet your fitness goals.

According to Dr. Srinivas Kasha, there is no definitive test for overtraining, although a progressive deterioration in performance over time might be an indication that it is developing. Overtraining and burnout are frequently addressed with a period of relative rest to allow the body and mind to recover.

According to Dr. Srinivas Kasha, treating overuse injuries often entails relaxing to enable the damaged region to recover, which might take weeks or months. Following this, a rehabilitation programme is implemented to strengthen the affected area and rectify any imbalances that may have contributed to the injury, before a gradual return to activities.