When is More Too Much?

[Guest Prosoft Admin]

When is More Too Much?

By Michael Golisano, PT, DPT, FAFS

What was once a rarity is now turning into a common occurrence.  More and more kids are developing chronic overuse injuries during sports. 

According to Boston Children’s Hospital, the number of kids showing up in doctors’ offices with overuse injuries, such as tendonitis, is climbing dramatically. 

Nationally renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews said that he is seeing four times as many overuse injuries in youth sports than five years ago and more kids are having surgery for these chronic injuries. 

Experts attribute this increase to the fact that more youth athletes are specializing in one sport at an early age and are training/playing year round with limited rest time. 

Most of these injuries can be linked to overuse: doing too much, too often. 

It seems as though young athletes are no longer “three letter varsity athletes,” which gives the athlete a form of cross-training that is extremely beneficial to a young body’s physical development. 

Playing multiple sports at different times of the year gives some muscles a chance to rest while others are being worked. 

With specialized sports, those same muscles and joints participate non-stop with little to no rest time.  This repetitive stress can cause young, developing bodies to break down.

Young athletes need to vary their training just like professional athletes do. During the offseason they change their training routine, allowing for muscles and joints to rest while working on increasing strength and core stability. 

No one can go 100% in a single sport year round without risking significant injury. 

When you hear your kids complaining of pain in their shoulder, knee, ankle, etc… after playing sports do not expect this pain to get better over time, especially when there is no rest period! 

These acute injuries can quickly become chronic problems that may lead to decreased playing time, further injury, injury in another area, or even surgery.

To Be Continued…