Listening to Your Body Can Prevent Overuse Injuries

“I’m feeling the burn!”, “I’m making gains!” Expressive statements athletes may make as they launch into new physical activities or ramp up their current workout routine. When starting a new repetitive activity or rapidly advancing a training program, the risk of developing an overuse injury increases.  Some of the most common overuse injuries are tennis elbow, runner’s knee, Achilles’ tendonitis, rotator cuff tendonitis, shin splints, and stress fractures.

When the physical stress of exercising overwhelms the body’s ability to recover or remodel, damaging breakdown occurs. Remodeling involves the breakdown and buildup of tissue during the recovery phase of training and is extremely important to prevent overuse injuries.

Fortunately, these types of injuries can be prevented with proper training, adequate rest, and good nutrition. Most overuse injuries develop in the first few weeks of training. Listening to body signals like pain, and trying not to push through it can prevent injuries. More intense discomfort means the body is unable to remodel and is overwhelmed. Athletes can prevent stress injuries by avoiding large weekly increases in their exercise program and by avoiding exercising everyday.

Setting new fitness goals is great! By working with a doctor, trainer, coach, and/or physical therapist to help ease into a new activity or advance a current training program, these goals can be met without injuries.

 

HROSM Olympics 30 Sec Spot from TUSK on Vimeo.

About the author

Alexander Lambert, M.D.

Dr. Alexander Lambert, specializes in sports medicine, and has been in private practice since 2002. He considers the best part of his job having the ability to treat patients and to be blessed with the skills to take care of his patients. Besides serving his country, Dr. Lambert has also served has a team physician for the College of William and Mary since 2002 and was a team physician for CNU from 2002-2006. Dr. Lambert’s practice focuses on Sports Medicine, Knee And Shoulder Ligament Reconstructions and General Orthopaedics.

Dr. Lambert earned his medical degree in 1988 at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC, after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, in 1984. He performed his residency at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, TX, and his internship at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in EL Paso, TX. Dr. Lambert served in the U.S. Army from 1988-2002. In 2001-2002 he served in Bosnia. He also served on the Orthopaedic Surgery Service staff at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center and as Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery/Podiatry Service at McDonald Army Community Hospital. He was Team Physician for the All Army Soccer Team and Armed Forces Soccer team. Dr. Lambert was Chief of the Aviation Medicine Clinic at William Beaumont Army Medical Center and served in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm as Squadron Surgeon/Medical Platoon Leader.

Dr. Lambert is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Medical Association, Medical Society of Virginia, and Virginia Orthopaedic Society. He is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Inc.