Common Summer Injuries: Overuse + Preventive Care Tips

Warm weather is here, and it’s the perfect time to dive into outdoor activities like sports, hiking, and gardening. However, with increased activity comes a higher risk of injuries. In fact, summer has the highest rate of injuries due to this. Emergency rooms nationwide report an uptick with over 40,000 visits every day during the months of June, July, and August.

In this post, you will learn common summer injuries caused by overuse and how physical therapy can play a crucial role in both recovery and prevention. With these tips and interventions, you’ll be ready to stay active, stay healthy, and make the most of all the summer fun!

Summer Overuse Injuries

What are Overuse Injuries?

Overuse injuries are ailments that result from repetitive stress and strain that happen when you push your muscles, tendons, and bones too hard without giving them enough downtime. This can lead to nagging pain and inflammation.

It is important to keep in mind that these injuries often develop gradually due to cumulative minor, unhealed damage, but can significantly impact daily activities and athletic performance if not properly managed. Preventing these injuries is key to keeping your groove and avoiding long-term health headaches. A little preventive care goes a long way in staying active and feeling great, especially during the summer!

Shin Splints

Shin splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome) are a common overuse injury, especially among runners and those who participate in high-impact activities. This occurs due to repetitive stress on the shinbone and the tissues connecting muscles to the bone.

Causes: The primary culprits are repetitive motions, improper footwear, and sudden increases in physical activity, which can overload the muscles and tendons, leading to inflammation and pain.

Symptoms: You might experience pain along the inner edge of the shinbone, along with swelling and tenderness.

Physical Therapy Interventions: To combat shin splints, modifying your activity is essential to prevent further strain. In addition, you should incorporate proper stretching routines to enhance flexibility, and eccentric exercises designed to strengthen the affected muscles. These strategies work together to reduce stress on your shins and promote recovery.

Shoulder Injuries

Shoulder injuries, such as rotator cuff tendinitis and impingement, often arise from activities like swimming, tennis, or gardening due to overuse and poor technique.

Causes: Overuse, poor technique, and muscle imbalances contribute significantly to shoulder injuries. When the shoulder is repeatedly stressed without proper form or rest, it can lead to inflammation and pain.

Symptoms: Common signs include pain, inflammation, and weakness in the shoulder. These symptoms can make even everyday tasks feel challenging.

Physical Therapy Interventions: Adding targeted stretching and strengthening exercises into your routine helps restore shoulder function and reduces pain. A slight adjustment to activity levels and improving technique are also key to reducing strain and preventing future issues.

Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow

Both tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow arise from repetitive motions that stress the muscles and tendons of the forearm. Despite their names, these conditions can affect anyone who performs repetitive arm and wrist movements.

Causes: Repetitive arm and wrist movements, poor technique, and inadequate warm-ups are typical causes, creating excessive strain on the elbow and leading to discomfort and pain.

Symptoms: Tennis elbow causes pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow, while golfer’s elbow affects the inside, making gripping or lifting difficult.

Physical Therapy Interventions: By employing stretching and strengthening exercises, you can relieve pain and improve function. To lower your risk of future setbacks, preventive care techniques to improve form are vital as well.

Knee Injuries

Knee injuries, including strains and sprains, are prevalent in activities that involve jumping, running, and sudden changes in direction. These injuries can disrupt your daily activities and athletic performance.

Causes: Overuse, improper landing techniques, and muscle imbalances are common causes. These factors put excessive stress on the knee joint, leading to injury.

Symptoms: Look out for pain, swelling, bruising, and instability. These symptoms signal that your knee needs care and possibly a bit of rest.

Physical Therapy Interventions: With manual therapy, this eases pain and restores function, while targeted strengthening exercises can help support your knee. Including proper form training will further ensure safe movement patterns, helping you recover and prevent future issues.

Ankle Sprains

Ankle sprains occur when the ligaments supporting the ankle stretch or tear, often due to sudden twisting or improper landings. They are common in activities involving rapid movements or uneven surfaces.

Causes: Sudden twisting motions, uneven surfaces, and overuse can all contribute to ankle sprains. These incidents strain the ligaments beyond their capacity, causing injury.

Symptoms: Symptoms include pain, swelling, bruising, and instability. These signs indicate that the ankle needs immediate care and attention.

Physical Therapy Interventions: The approach to this is manual therapy once more to reduce pain and swelling. Strengthening and balance-training exercises should be added as well to improve ankle stability and prevent future injuries. The goal is to restore your ankle’s function and get you back on your feet.

Injury Prevention for Overuse

Over the summer there are many ways we can cause overuse, especially when activity levels are high that is why preventive care is so important to maintain an active lifestyle. To keep you doing what you love, here are some preventive care tips to incorporate in your summer routine:

• Warm-up and Cool-down Routines: Always start with a thorough warm-up to prepare your muscles and joints for activity, and finish with a cool-down to aid in recovery. These practices help reduce the risk of overuse injuries by ensuring your body is adequately prepared for physical activity and that it recovers properly afterward.
• Proper Equipment and Technique: Use the right equipment for your activities and maintain proper form. Incorrect technique and inadequate gear can place undue stress on specific areas of your body, leading to overuse injuries. Proper technique and appropriate equipment help distribute stress more evenly and reduce the risk of strain.
• Gradual Progression of Activity Levels: Increase the intensity and duration of your activities gradually. Abrupt changes in activity levels can overload your muscles and tendons, leading to overuse injuries. Gradual progression allows your body to adapt and build strength over time, minimizing the risk of injury.
• Cross-training and Rest Days: Incorporate a variety of activities into your routine and ensure you include rest days. Cross-training helps balance muscle use and prevent overuse injuries by engaging different muscle groups. Rest days are essential for allowing your body to recover and repair.
• Stretching: Make stretching a regular part of your routine to keep your muscles flexible and your joints moving freely. Stretching helps alleviate muscle tension, enhance circulation, and prevent stiffness, which collectively reduces the risk of overuse injuries.
• Seek Professional Guidance: Work with a physical therapist to develop a personalized preventive care plan. A physical therapist can provide expert advice on exercise techniques, monitor your progress, and adjust your routine to prevent overuse injuries effectively.

Preventive Care + How Twin Boro Can Help

Summer is all about fun and adventure, but it’s crucial to stay mindful of potential risks of overuse injuries. Physical therapy isn’t just for recovery—it’s also essential for preventing future setbacks. At Twin Boro, our dedicated physical therapists are here to guide you through recovery and equip you with the tools to stay active and injury-free. By addressing these common overuse injuries with personalized care, we aim to get you back to doing what you love—pain-free and strong. With a customized care plan, you can keep enjoying what you love and be the best version of yourself throughout the summer and beyond!

Keep doing what you love and schedule an appointment with us today!