Athletico Health Resources

Contrary to what the snow on the ground has told you, spring sports are ramping up at the high school level across the states. And we all know what that means- beginning of season aches and pains. I’ll let you in on a little secret, we athletic trainers see a lot of the same injuries year after year at this time.

In the first few weeks of spring sports, there is a rise in visitors to the Athletic Training Room for overuse injuries. Let’s dig into some of the most common overuse injuries we see in spring and ways to prevent or manage them.

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If you’ve ever felt a nagging pain or tingling along the inside of your shinbone (tibia), you may have what’s known as shin splints. The good news is with proper recovery and tips from your physical therapist; this injury doesn’t have to keep you from doing what you love. Read below to learn more about shin splints and how they’re treated.

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Running has become an increasingly popular activity for exercise among people of all ages. In fact, 60 million people within the United States participate in some form of running activity each year. People participate in running activities for numerous reasons including: improving fitness, weight concerns, running a race/competition, staying healthy, and having fun. Running for 5 – 10 minutes per day has shown to decrease the risk of death and cardiovascular disease. Running less than 50 minutes per week has also shown to reduce the risk of death from heart disease when compared to individuals who don’t participate in running at all. While running has many benefits, about 50% of people get injured each year from running. Running injuries can be caused by poor running technique, reduced strength and flexibility, improper footwear, as well as overuse.

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Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome is more commonly known as “Shin Splints.” This syndrome describes pain on the front and side of the shin bone in the lower leg. Shin splints are common in running and jumping athletes including gymnasts who run and tumble frequently.

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Shin splints are a common condition among athletes especially in running and jumping sports. What exactly are shin splints, what causes them and what is the most effective treatment for them? Read on as we discuss these answers and more!

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Weekend warriors are those that complete vigorous workouts and recreational activities on weekends with minimal physical activity during the rest of the week.

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From basketball players in the NCAA tournament to middle age runners on the sidewalk, who is at risk and why? If you have lived an active lifestyle, participated in sports or even follow sports you’ve probably heard of or experienced ‘shin splints’ at some point. But what are shin splints?

In the physical therapy world, it is referred to as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS).

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I’ve written before about injury prevention for ankle sprains and knee injuries and I want to show just how effective a basic injury prevention program can be. This past year, Oak Park River Forest (OPRF) High School’s soccer program implemented an ACL injury reduction program known as the FIFA 11+. The FIFA 11+ is a warm-up program that focuses on correcting the most common faulty movement patterns seen in adolescent female athletes. Those faulty movement patterns – knees collapsing inwards, relying too much on your quads, ankle instability, etc – can lead to all of your common soccer injuries like ankle sprains, shin splints, stress fractures, and knee injuries.

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