Repetitive Use Injury Prevention and Treatment

By Carly | January 14, 2013

As a softball player, you’re always at some risk for injury by sudden accident—getting hit by a pitch or a hit ball, sliding awkwardly, colliding with another player, etc.—and there usually isn’t anything you can do to prevent this type of injury. It’s just part of the game. However, as you probably know, that isn’t the only way you can get hurt. Repetitive use injuries, or sudden injuries that result from an inherent weakness in the body, affect a tremendous number of athletes across all sports. Today we’re going to discuss how they happen, how to avoid them, and how to deal with them if you get one.

What is a Repetitive Use Injury?

Unlike a sudden acute injury—getting hit by a pitch and breaking your wrist, for example—a repetitive use injury is one caused by repeating the same motion over and over again when your body is not physically equipped to handle the stress. Getting shin splints from running, or back spasms from pitching, are examples of repetitive use injuries. You can also have a hidden weakness in your body that remains hidden with no symptoms for quite some time, and then something surprisingly simple can cause it to snap. You can tear an ACL slowing down untouched past first base, or break a leg jumping on home plate (just ask Kendrys Morales what that’s like).

How to Prevent Repetitive Use and Inherent Weakness Injuries

There is a simple 2-step approach to preventing repetitive use injuries, and injuries that can appear suddenly from hidden inherent weaknesses: identify your personal areas of weakness, and then work to strengthen them. It sounds easy, but there is quite a bit of work and dedication involved.

How do you identify your personal areas of weakness? Find a trainer who specializes in working with athletes. It’s best if he/she has experience working with softball players of your specific position and age group. A good trainer will put you through a series of simple physical tests and take notes to determine where your body is strong and where it is weak. They will then propose a workout plan customized to address your physical weaknesses. If the trainer puts you right into a full routine without doing an evaluation, you know that’s not what you’re looking for. Even if working with a personal trainer regularly isn’t an option for you, it’s well worth getting the evaluation and a written workout plan to take home.

If you can’t find a trainer that fits that description, a physical therapist may be able to do the same type of evaluation, but may or may not be able to provide a full workout plan.

Having the desire and dedication to strength train on your own is fabulous, but if you’re not evaluated first, you may be doing exercises that are putting extra stress on your weak areas instead of helping to improve them.

What To Do If You Get Injured

  • See a doctor. There are some wonderful resources online nowadays, and your friends who have been through the same thing may have a lot to say, but you (or your children) are worth a professional diagnosis.
  • If you’re not sure whether or not to see a doctor, see a doctor. If it’s not serious, no harm done. If it is, it’s not good to let it linger.
  • Make sure that doctor is a specialist. The best doctor to see in the case of sports injury is one who specializes in sports medicine.
  • If the doctor does not propose scans, ask for them. No sense wasting time. You might as well find out up front exactly what the problem is, unless the doctor is 100% certain of the diagnosis without scans. An MRI is typically the most effective.
  • Rehab diligently, and don’t rush back into action. Do the rehab exercises you’re assigned every day, make sure you get enough rest, and don’t push yourself too hard too soon.

Fastpitch Power Injury Prevention Resources

 

 

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