What are overuse injuries?
Overuse injuries happen when there is injury to a part of your body from repeated use. It differs from an acute injury where the injury happens from one specific event.
When parts of your body are stressed, the body will tend to adapt and get stronger when it recovers. However, when there is repeated stress without adequate recovery, then it will not have a chance to recover and adapt. The build of the total stress can lead to injury with inflammation: a sign that the body has had enough.
Examples of overuse injuries are:
- tendinopathies
- bursitis
- stress fractures
- shin splints
- tennis elbow
- carpal tunnel syndrome
- and muscle strains
What do overuse injuries feel like?
Overuse injuries may not feel like much early on. However, if the issue is not addressed, it can start to get progressively worse. The initial symptoms may act as a warning sign that you may be doing too much, too soon. What may start as some stiffness and soreness in the area in the morning ,can progress to pain and discomfort all the time, and will start affecting your function. If the area becomes inflamed, there may be swelling, heat and/or redness in the area.
How can a Physiotherapist / Chiropractor/ Registered Massage Therapist at Lift Clinic help with overuse injuries?
Our clinicians are able to do an in depth assessment to determine what may have caused your overuse injury. Possible reasons could be inflexibility, lack of strength, poor alignment, aggressive work schedules, improper technique. By addressing the cause, we can also work with you to create strategies to reduce the risk of recurrence.
If you have been suffering from an overuse injury, our clinicians can help you address the cause, reduce your symptoms, and plan out your recovery. We may also contact coaches, or employers or other members of your team to further discuss strategies to reduce the risk of recurrence. Our goal at Lift Clinic is to help you get back to doing what you need to do.
