There are essentially two types of sports injuries: acute injuries and
overuse injuries. Acute injuries are usually the result of a single traumatic
event, such as a sprained ankle during a soccer game. Overuse injuries
are the result of repetitive micro-trauma. Activities like running or
swimming, where you repeat the same motion over and over often cause an
overuse injury. Some common overuse injuries are:
Achilles tendonitis
Swimmer’s shoulder
Tennis elbow
Stress fractures
Shin splints
Runner’s knee
What causes overuse injuries?
In many cases, simply performing repetitive movements over time can lead
to overuse injuries. They also come about as a result of faulty mechanisms
of movement, muscle imbalance, genetics, poor core strength, or body alignment.
How are overuse injuries treated?
Our Northern Utah sports medicine physicians have many options when it
comes to overuse injuries and will create a customized treatment plan
for yours. Ultrasound-guided injections can help patients manage debilitating
pain (depending on the nature of the pain). Our sports medicine physician
also uses platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections (similar to a cortisone
shot) for some injuries to help stubborn tissue begin to heal. Soft tissue
mobilization techniques are often employed for overuse injuries to reduce
the amount of scar tissue surrounding the injury site.
With any treatment plan, patients should expect to scale back activity
and allow their body time to repair itself. This can mean cutting back
the duration, frequency, or intensity of their activity and learning proper
training techniques from an Ogden Clinic physical therapist. Tried-and-true
methods are also prescribed for overuse injuries like rest, ice, proper
stretching, and anti-inflammatory medication when needed.
In many cases, simply performing repetitive movements over time can lead
to overuse injuries. They also come about as a result of faulty mechanisms
of movement, muscle imbalance, genetics, poor core strength, or body alignment.
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