Sports Medicine Advisor

Early Season Athletic Injuries, What to expect.

With the start of the fall sports season, there are always athletes that experience some type of overuse injury. The causes of these athletic injuries are many, however if caught early, these injuries can be successfully managed and the athlete will miss very little playing time. Most overuse athletic injuries include the lower leg and shin, the patellofemoral joint and the knee. Shin pain is caused by running on hard surfaces, an increase in training intensity, muscle imbalances in the lower leg, and faulty foot biomechanics. In most cases, those athletes experiencing shin pain did very little preparation over the summer months for their sport. Shin pain that lasts for two weeks or more and does not diminish in symptoms needs to have medical attention. Knee pain is caused by many of the same factors. Most overuse athletic injuries to the knee and shin are of a gradual onset. If the athlete presents symptoms of an acute nature, ligament injuries need to be ruled out. Signs that include a knee effusion, lack of range of motion, and abnormal gait, may indicate ligament and cartilage involvement. Patellofemoral pain is usually characterized by an ache in the patella area, brought on by too much running or jumping. The athlete will also experience pain with stairs. The main cause of the pain is due to the patella not tracking correctly. The tracking problem is caused by weakness in the vastus medialus oblique, the muscle on the inside of the knee joint just above the patella. Rehab should focus on the strengthening of that muscle.