If you get a lot of exercise on a regular basis or play a lot of sport, you run the risk of sustaining an overuse injury of some kind. Of course, it’s important to be active and keep moving as we get older, but it’s equally as important to listen to your body and not put too much stress and strain on it… or you could find yourself out of action and in serious pain.
Overuse injuries occur as the result of repeated micro-traumas over time, usually because you haven’t allowed yourself sufficient recovery time between tissue loading events or because of excessive volume or magnitude of tissue load carried out repeatedly.
Part of the problem is that these injuries can creep up on you unawares, with no symptoms presenting initially, so you continue putting pressure on the affected area, which means it has no time to heal.
There are certain factors that can increase your chances of sustaining an overuse injury, ranging from muscle imbalances and weaknesses, muscle tightness, nutrition, poor form, the type of shoes you wear and so on.
It’s important to know what signs to look out for so you can help stop overuse injuries in their tracks. Look out for nagging aches and pains in your joints and muscles, increasing stiffness after use and swelling and tenderness.
Initially, you may find that the discomfort you’re experiencing disappears as you warm up for your activity, but resurfaces once you’ve finished. Unless addressed, this discomfort will present itself at the start of the activity and get worse as you go. From there, you will likely experience pain and discomfort all the time, if you continue to put pressure on the affected area in the same way.
To treat overuse injuries in the initial stages, follow the RICE principle: rest, ice, compression, elevation. Restricting your activity may be necessary to allow your body to recuperate, while physiotherapy can be particularly beneficial to strengthen the injured muscles, tendons and ligaments.
If you are experiencing pain and discomfort, and are worried about these types of injuries, get in touch with the Clear Physio team today to see how we can help.
