How Common Are Pediatric Overuse Injuries? More Than You’d Think [Ultimate Guide] Posted on August 9, 2024May 1, 2025 by esw What is an overuse injury? To put it plainly, overuse injuries are often caused by repetitive athletic motions, like pitching in baseball, running on hard surfaces, or competitive swimming. For young athletes, the repetitive stress that overtraining puts on muscles and tendons can disrupt bone growth and cause pain, inflammation, and a critical need to rest the affected area. What causes overuse injuries in kids and teens When putting physical effort into training, practicing, and games, players tend to use the same muscle groups over and over. Without periods of adequate rest and recovery, overtraining can lead to musculoskeletal injuries and pain. If these conditions continue to be left untreated, they can become more serious over time. Pain endured by active youths can also have a detrimental psychological impact, if kids can no longer play at the level they’d worked so hard to reach Some children will play a sport on multiple teams during a season, which is a great way to explore interests and learn teamwork—but it can also lead to excessive training. However, it’s not just a busy schedule that can lead to overuse injuries: Lack of conditioning (training the body for physical activity), a prior injury left untreated, and natural growth spurts can all impact how a child’s body reacts to athletics. Common overuse injuries in children Some overuse injuries have common nicknames, like Little League Shoulder, a condition typically caused by overhead throwing that can lead to inflammation of growth plates—areas of cartilage that allows bones to grow. Here are some additional examples of pediatric overuse injuries: Sever’s Disease Sever’s Disease is an inflammatory condition of the heel’s growth plate, and a common source of heel pain, especially after running or jumping. It occurs when the Achilles tendon pulls on the heel, leading to swelling in the growth plate. Shin Splints Running on hard surfaces or the use of improper footwear are common causes of this condition, which is marked by shin pain and tenderness. Shin splints occur when repetitive stress is put on the shinbone and its attached connective tissues. Tennis Elbow Also known as Golfer’s Elbow, this condition—true to its name—is caused by overusing elbow muscles, leading to a partial tear in the tendon that connects the forearm muscle to the bone. This can bring on swelling, soreness, and pain in the elbow, forearm, and wrist. Swimmer’s Shoulder This is an umbrella diagnosis for a series of shoulder overuse injuries, including impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tendinitis, inflammation, and weaknesses of the shoulder from repeated stress on tendons. Osgood-Schlatter Disease This painful condition of the knee occurs when thigh muscles pull on the patellar tendon located just below the kneecap, which then pulls on the growth plate of the shinbone, leading to swelling and irritation. This is sometimes caused by growth spurts and made worse by running and jumping. Jumper’s Knee Another overuse injury that causes tenderness below the knee and upper shin area, Jumper’s Knee is typically caused by repetitive motions that pull on the patellar tendon, causing swelling and tissue damage. Stress Fractures This type of fracture occurs when too much stress is being placed on the bones, due to excessive activity after muscle fatigue. Without protection from muscles, a small fracture can occur in the bone. Learn more about specific pediatric overuse injuries at our Health Information Library. What are the symptoms of overuse injuries? Pain is an obvious indication of injury, however, there are other specific signs and symptoms to note: Pain that increases with activity Pain that increases over time Pain that decreases with rest Swelling in the affected area Overcompensation of other limbs due to pain Mental fatigue and frustration To diagnose an overuse injury, your sports medicine specialist will need to know the intensity and frequency of the repeated activity, then provide a physical exam to pinpoint the pain. Imaging may also need to be done. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, we recommend an appointment with our Sports Medicine team. We specialize in helping young athletes get back in the game, whether that’s team sports like soccer or football, individual sports like skateboarding or gymnastics, or PE class in school. Our team of experts tailor treatments to each child’s unique needs, addressing all aspects of our patients’ journey to recovery Take a virtual tour of our Center for Sports Medicine. What’s the best way to treat an overuse injury? Rest is typically the first step toward recovery. That includes restricting or stopping athletic activities, depending on the severity of pain or fracture, for weeks or months according to a doctor’s treatment plan. For some overuse injuries, the doctor may recommend the use of a splint, cast, boot, or crutches. After a period of rest, physical therapy can assist in providing more flexibility and strength to the injured area. Have you heard about LuskinOIC’s Return to Sports program? Our Sports Medicine team has revolutionized athletic recovery by using cutting-edge research to assess the physical and mental/emotional readiness for young athletes to return to their favorite activities post-injury. From evaluating limb symmetry to analyzing neuromotor control, our expert physicians guide athletes and families toward a safe return to the sports and activities they love. At LuskinOIC, it’s not just about having the most innovative technology—it’s also about accessible expertise, often provided free of charge, making us the top choice for an athlete to get back in the game Meet our sports medicine team! Can overuse injuries be prevented? The answer is yes! With proper attention to adequate rest, the right footwear and gear, and conditioning, you decrease the risk of an overuse injury. While it might be fun to sign a child up for a town sport, school sport, and travel league all at once, keep in mind that this does increase their risk for overuse injuries. Want to learn more about your child’s limits and abilities? LuskinOIC works directly with coaches, athletic trainers, and medical teams to create partnerships between schools and our Center for Sports Medicine. These partnerships lead to fewer injuries and faster recoveries for student athletes in our communities. They also help ensure that when injuries occur, kids have access to the care they need, often from the start with orthopedic urgent care. Learn more here.
Playground Safety: How To Prevent Playground Injuries Posted on August 9, 2024May 1, 2025 by esw Playgrounds can be magical places for children. However, they are also a source of common pediatric injuries. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, more than 220,000 children under the age of 14 are treated for playground injuries in emergency rooms each year. Even though accidents can happen to even the most cautious child, and under the most attentive supervision, there are key actions parents and caregivers can plan to take to ensure playground safety. We’ll share that advice below, along with common injuries and how to know when medical help is necessary. Common Types of Playground Injuries Falls Falls from playground equipment are among the highest rates of emergency visits. Whether kids lose grip on monkey bars, slip while running or climbing, or bounce off a seesaw, it’s possible that they can hit the ground pretty hard, leading to a variety of serious injuries. Cuts and scrapes Minor cuts and scrapes don’t necessarily mean playtime is over for the day; many can be cleaned with soapy water and bandaged on the spot before sending your child back out to play. But you should seek medical attention if bleeding won’t stop, if the cut occurs from metal or glass, or if wounds are deep enough to require stitches. Fractures/broken bones It can sometimes be hard to tell when an injury is actually a broken bone. Signs of a fracture may include: pain and swelling, lack of limb mobility, inability to put weight on the injured limb, bruising and redness, or deformity of the affected area. (Learn more about diagnosis, treatment, and healing in our Parents’ Guide to Understanding Fractures.) If you’re unsure whether medical attention is necessary for a possible broken bone, always err on the side of caution. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, seek out our LuskinOIC Pediatric Orthopedic Urgent Care Center. Our medical experts focus solely on children’s medical care for fractures, dislocations, sprains, strains, and other musculoskeletal injuries. Rather than waiting in an emergency room for care from a general physician, you can walk in and see a pediatric orthopedic specialist in just a few minutes—you can even use the Save My Spot option to get in line online. Learn more about our urgent care center here. Collisions Rounding a corner too fast or standing too close to the bottom of a slide can cause collisions that lead to injuries like a concussion or a bloody nose. Seek medical help if a bloody nose continues to bleed after 15 minutes or if your child shows these symptoms of a concussion: confusion, headache, nausea, impaired speech, blurred vision, or loss of consciousness. Parents should be instructed to follow up with a physician if child if they witness visual clues of suspected concussion and if child reports concussions symptoms that don’t resolve within about 10 mins or appear to be worsening. Download our Concussion Recognition Tool here. How to Prevent Common Playground Injuries Supervise children and encourage safety Ensure that children know (and follow) playground safety rules, how equipment works, and the importance of social factors like taking turns and being kind. Help maintain safety by discouraging bullying or pushing, crowding at exits or the bottom of slides, or other unsafe play like standing on a swing. Remind children that jumping off of a tall structure can be dangerous and should be avoided. Take notice of the playground environment Is the equipment more suitable for older children? Is the ground soft like mulch or sand, or hard like asphalt or gravel? Examining the surroundings in which your child will be playing allows you to determine their level of safety. Also, take note of the state of the equipment, keeping an eye out for rusted corners, broken swings, or loose parts. Safe clothing Hoodies or shirts with drawstrings, and loose necklaces, are both an unfortunately common cause of strangulation on playgrounds. Ensure that children aren’t wearing anything loose around their neck. Appropriate footwear can make running and climbing safer, too—aim for closed-toe sneakers that are securely tied or fastened. Age appropriateness Playgrounds for younger children are built in a way to be more suitable for shorter height, lower strength, and less ability to grip (such small hands!). For all-ages playgrounds, ensure that the younger set knows which play equipment is off-limits; for instance, seesaws or sliding poles/fire poles are generally not recommended for children under age six. Last, although a parent or guardian might be tempted to go down a slide with a toddler or baby on their lap, this is discouraged by medical experts, as a child could potentially get a limb stuck on the way down and cause injury. Health and Safety For All Children We aim to provide outstanding musculoskeletal medical assistance for all children and we’re here for you if an unexpected playground injury happens. Learn more about our caring team of experts at LuskinOIC here.