Stay in the Game: How Athletes Can Prevent Joint Overuse Injuries

Whether you’re a professional athlete, a weekend warrior or trying out for the high school team, you’re going to put a lot of stress on your joints during your sport. Our joints are naturally quite strong, and while athletics and exercise can help to make them stronger, it’s wise to be mindful of your training program and game schedule so that you don’t overload the joint and develop an overuse injury. Below, we touch on some tips for how athletes can reduce their risk of developing joint overuse injuries.

Avoiding Joint Overuse Injuries

Our joints are tasked with handling stress forces significantly greater than our body weight during athletic competition. And while each athlete will face sport-specific challenges, two joints that can be easily overloaded with stress are our shoulders and knees. Any sport that requires an overhead motion or throwing movement will put a lot of strain on your shoulder, like baseball, softball, golf and volleyball. Running-focused sports like track, soccer, football or hockey will ask a lot of your knees, and if your joints aren’t prepared for this stress, an overuse injury can develop in a hurry.

With that in mind, let’s look at some of the ways we work with athletes to prevent joint overuse injuries:

Prioritize Smart Recovery

Giving your body the rest it needs to recover and heal from the trauma of high-level athletics is the easiest way to reduce your risk of overloading your joints. With that said, we know that sometimes you’ll be asked to practice 5-6 times a week, or you will go through a stretch with a bunch of games in a short period. When you can’t get away from activity, you need to proactively help your body recover with these tactics:

• Ice sore areas like knees and shoulders after intense practices or games
• Stay hydrated and fuel your body with nutrient-rich foods
• Cross-train by switching to light, low-impact activities on recovery days to keep moving without adding stress

Stay Educated

If you really want to learn more about the best ways to protect your knees and shoulders, we recommend picking up a copy of Dr. Reznik’s latest publication, aptly named The Knee & Shoulder Handbook. This book dives deep into the structure of these larger joints and how different forces can cause them strife if left unchecked. Moreover, it can provide some sport-specific ways to protect these joints as you work to take your game to the next level. You’ll learn how to care for your joints during the off-season or when you’re in the middle of a grueling soccer season, and knowing how to care for your joints can greatly reduce your likelihood of overlooking the signs of an overuse injury.

Master Proper Form

Another topic we discuss in the book is the importance of proper athletic form. You’d be amazed at just how significant an alignment or form issue can be on your joints. Overpronating when you’re running or throwing out of an inefficient arm slot can greatly increase the forces on your knee and shoulder, so slight tweaks to your form can go a long way in saving your joints from excessive stress.

Know The Signs Of An Overuse Injury

Finally, whether you’re an athlete or you’re a parent of a young athlete, it’s imperative to know the warning signs of an overuse injury. It’s common for athletes to get sore after competition, but overuse injuries may show other signs as well. If soreness progresses to acute or chronic pain, it may suggest that your joints and their supportive structures are being overworked. Other symptoms include:

• Joint weakness
• Joint tenderness
• Joint swelling
• Joint stiffness
• Earlier body fatigue during competition

You may also notice that there seems to be a dip in athletic performance. For example, a baseball player may not be throwing the ball as hard, a soccer player may not be covering as much ground as they normally would, or you’re struggling to keep up with your normal running pace. A decline in athletic performance, especially when the athlete has had limited rest in recent days, is a telltale sign that their joints and soft tissues are having a hard time keeping up with the physical demands they are under.

Protect Your Joints — and Your Game

We want to keep you on the field and performing at the highest level, and in order to do that, you need to take care of your joints. Build in rest days and don’t overload your young athlete with athletics, and be sure to keep an eye out for symptoms that suggest their joints are being overworked. For even more insight into how you can protect your athletic joints, pick up a copy of Dr. Reznik’s informative book, The Knee & Shoulder Handbook, available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can also reach out to Dr. Reznik here for more information.