How does an overuse injury develop?
Bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments get stronger and more functional with exercise and activity. This happens because of an internal process called remodeling, which involves both the breakdown and the build-up of tissue. If breakdown occurs more rapidly than build-up, an injury can result. For example, when a player first begins a sport or activity and tries to do too much too soon, more breakdown than build-up of tissue can result. Poor technique may also be involved. In fact, training errors are the most common cause of overuse injuries. They involve a too rapid acceleration of the intensity, duration or frequency of the activity. Overuse injuries also occur among individuals who return to a sport or activity after an injury and try to make up for lost time. Technical, biomechanical and individual factors may also be involved. For example, imbalances between strength and flexibility around certain joints can predispose an individual to an overuse injury. Body alignment, such as kn
