The human body is meant for movement; that much is clear. We are well-equipped for many different athletic activities, especially those that involve running, throwing, jumping, and climbing. Furthermore, our hands are also fine-tuned for intricate movements such as typing, sewing, and painting.
Unfortunately, however, we can often overuse our bodies to the point of injury. When we suffer from pain and dysfunction as a result of using our joints and muscles in excess, we refer to this as an overuse injury. In this post, we’ll discuss the topic of overuse injuries and outline how your local chiropractor can help you overcome this tricky issue.
How Much Should We Use Our Joints and Muscles?
There is no hard and fast rule on how much or how little we should use our bodies. Generally, our jobs and lifestyles will dictate the amount of activity we get, and many of us will be able to respond appropriately to this demand.
But some people reach a breaking point where they have performed more work than their bodies are capable of recovering from. In these cases, muscles, tendons, and joints will start to wear down. Without adequate rest and recovery time, these structures may never fully recover.
Repetitive Injuries In Sports
One of the most common areas where we see repetitive use disorders, or repetitive injuries, is in sports. Sports of all types force us to push our bodies to the limit in order to best our opponents. While it may be worth it for the glory of victory, this volume of exercise comes with a cost.
For instance, many soccer players will develop hamstring and hip problems from the incredible amount of running required by their sport. The constant cutting, kicking, and running all place significant levels of trauma through the lower body, often leading to injury.
Some athletes may even suffer from very serious issues related to repetitive motion and overuse. Specifically, athletes can develop what is known as overtraining syndrome. Overtraining syndrome is a widespread phenomenon in the body that leads to decreased performance, weakness, fatigue, and even psychological issues in some cases.
For this reason, teaching athletes how to recover and treat their bodies well is just as important as pushing them hard during practices and games.
Occupational Injuries
Outside of sports, another very common area where we’ll see repetitive injuries occur is at the office or workplace. Sitting at a desk while typing for many hours on end can lead to finger pain, neck pain, and a host of other issues from which many office workers suffer.
Likewise, working in a labor-intensive job, such as construction, can put tons of stress through the joints. Having to lift awkward and heavy objects all day long, for many years in a row will frequently lead to arthritis and other issues that affect the body.
Chiropractic Care and Overuse Injuries
If overuse injuries are not addressed early on, they can lead to long-term overuse injury symptoms. This can include issues such as chronic pain, weakness, and fatigue.
Luckily, your local chiropractor can help you deal with your overuse injuries, and stop them from ever occurring in the first place. By keeping the spine in correct alignment through chiropractic care, you’ll be able to move with better coordination and efficiency, leading to a lower likelihood of developing an overuse disorder and quicker recovery times when you do develop such an issue.
Come see us at At Last Chiropractic, your go-to Lithia chiropractor. Our team of experts can assess your injury and design a plan for your recovery. We would be thrilled to help you with any overuse issues you are suffering from, or with any other health problem which may be affecting you. Book your appointment today!
