Development Zone®

   

PCA Resource Center

How To Reduce Injuries By Avoiding Overuse

Share This Resource

TRIA Orthopaedic Center (@TRIAortho) is a comprehensive center for orthopaedic medicine, providing clinical and surgical care, research, and innovative programs, with physicians specializing in sports medicine, acute injury, shoulder, hip, knee, spine, hand and wrist, foot and ankle, and fractures. TRIA’s sports medicine specialists have served as official team physicians for Minnesota’s professional sports teams for over 25 years. For more information, visit www.tria.com.

TRIA Orthopaedic is a chapter sponsor of PCA-Minnesota providing education and support around issues such as concussions, over-use injuries and athletic training.  TRIA and PCA-Minnesota are collaborating to make youth and high school sports healthy and fun for all involved.

In this video, Dr. Heather Bergeson in this video explains that 50% of all youth sports occur due to overuse and are therefore preventable. She recommends that youth athletes take a three-month break from their sport. This is especially true for younger athletes, whose growth plates are not yet mature.

Also, beware playing a sport during that time that stresses the body in ways similar to the sport from which the athlete is taking a break. For example, softball and swimming are both "overhead" sports, so playing one instead of the other does not necessarily constitute a three-month rest for the shoulders.