Overuse is one of the leading causes of injuries in athletics and at the workplace, and nobody wants to miss time away from either as a result of an overuse injury. While it may seem obvious that overuse injuries can be prevented by giving your body enough rest between activities, there are some other little-known tips for preventing these common injuries. In today’s blog, we focus on some oft overlooked strategies for preventing overuse injuries.
How To Prevent Overuse Injuries
Besides giving your body time to rest and recover between physical activities, here’s a look at some ways to keep overuse injuries at bay:
- Strength Training – When you’re not at work or lacing up your cleats for athletic competition, make sure you’re taking some time to strengthen your body with an exercise routine. The stronger your muscles, ligaments and tendons are, the more stress they will be able to handle during activity. Just be mindful not to push yourself too hard during a strength training routine, because taking on too much of a physical challenge can also contribute to overuse injuries.
- Improve Your Form – Sometimes our risk of an overstress injury increases as a result of having suboptimal form during the activity. When your form isn’t right, certain areas of your body will be forced to handle additional stress, and over time this added stress can serve to break down tissues and contribute to overstress injuries. Consider connecting with a physical therapist or personal trainer to ensure your form is correct.
- Gradual Introduction – If you expect to take on a significant physical challenge in the near future, start gradually pushing your body to prepare for this upcoming stress. For example, we work with many athletes who end up injured in the beginning of the year because they didn’t properly train for the stress they would endure when two-a-day practices and games got underway. Your body can handle a fair amount of physical stress so long as you gradually build up your tolerance and endurance.
- Stretch – Stretching before and after activity can help keep overuse injuries at bay. Effective warm up stretches work to transition your muscles from an inactive to an active state, ensuring they can better handle the stress you’re about to throw at them. Doing some cool down exercises can help you maintain flexibility and limit joint stiffness and muscle soreness.
- Check Your Equipment – Make sure that your equipment isn’t contributing to your overuse injuries. For example, if you’re wearing cleats that aren’t supportive or you’re not wearing a lifting harness when you’re performing certain tasks at work, you’re exposing yourself to injury. Make sure any equipment you need for athletics or the job is comfortable and supportive.
- Connect With A Physical Therapist – Finally, if you really want to reduce your likelihood of a setback, connect with a physical therapist. At OrthoRehab Specialists, we can cultivate a training routine that is specific to your needs and your goals. Whether you’re an athlete looking to safely take your game to the next level or you’re a seasoned worker hoping to move around with less pain as you near retirement, we can develop a strength training routine suited to the actions you perform the most. We can also set you up with some home-based exercises so that you can continue working to prevent overstress injuries on your own.
Overstress injuries can keep you on the sideline or make every day uncomfortable, but they don’t have to if you are smart in your approach to physical activity. For more ways to prevent and overcome overstress injuries, or to connect with a professional about another physical issue, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.