Q: My teenager daughter has pain after a workout. Is she overusing her muscles?

Ask Out Expert about Overuse Injuries in Young Adults

• My teenager daughter has pain after a workout. Is she overusing her muscles?
• What kinds of overuse injuries are there?
• How are overuse injuries treated?
• Can overuse injuries be prevented?

Q: My teenager daughter has pain after a workout. Is she overusing her muscles?

A: A little discomfort right after a workout or sporting event is not unusual. But if your child still feels pain, stiffness, soreness, weakness or fatigue hours or days later, it is possible that she's suffering an overuse injury. Popping, clicking or grinding sounds also are signs of a potential problem.

Q: What kinds of overuse injuries are there?

A: Some of the more common are:

• Shin splints and stress fractures in runners
• "Jumper’s knee" (patellar femoral syndrome), common in basketball and soccer
• Osgood-Schlatter disease, which can cause knee and shin pain in any sport
• Sever's disease, pain in the heel or Achilles' tendon area in any sport involving running or jumping
• Rotator cuff and shoulder tendonitis, common in racquet and throwing sports
• "Tennis elbow" (epicondylitis, also called "little leaguers' elbow")
• Low back pain. It's common for gymnasts, who can develop stress fractures in their back, but can affect anyone who sits all day and then plays a sport.

Q: How are overuse injuries treated?

A: If your child's nagging ache or pain doesn't go away in a day or two, see an athletic trainer, family doctor or sports medicine expert. Receiving care immediately can prevent a long-term problem. Young athletes often think they can work through the pain because they don't want to miss the big game, but they will get to a point where they are unable to play. Losing two or three weeks is far better than being shut down for the whole season, where your child will lose skill development as well as playing time. Treatment usually involves rest, possibly with medications or special exercises.

Q: Can overuse injuries be prevented?

A: Yes. Here's how:

• Always warm up and cool down before and after playing, and don't forget to stretch.
• Drink plenty of water before, during and after your workouts.
• Listen to your body and rest when you feel tired, and stop if you have pain, swelling, numbness or stiffness.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends young athletes join only one team per season and limit training to no more than five days a week, with at least one day off. Also, take a two-to-three month break from a sport during a calendar year. This allows injuries to heal and gives your child time to work on strength training and conditioning to reduce the risk for future injuries. It also helps children take a psychological break, which is necessary to avoid burnout. If you play several sports that use the same muscles, it's especially important to take a break.

It's also important to keep sports in perspective. The focus should be on fun, skill acquisition, safety and sportsmanship, not winning the 12-year-old little league championship or making the professional leagues (fewer than 1 percent of high school athletes make it to the pros). Children's bodies can't handle the workload of an adult. Plus, if you push too hard, it becomes a chore. It's easy to get caught up in the moment, but sometimes you need to step back and remember you're there because you love the game.

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