Pain in Motion: Chronic Pain in Young Athletes
Athletes are no strangers to pain — no matter the sport. Understanding why chronic pain develops and how to prevent it can help young athletes stay in top shape, improve their performance, and prevent a lifetime battle with pain. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Do Athletes Form Chronic Pain?
Simply put, most chronic injuries in athletes develop gradually over time due to excessive training and playing loads. Other leading contributing factors include poor baseline conditioning, insufficient recovery, and using improper technique.
It is also important to note that an athlete may be at a higher risk of developing chronic pain if they play multiple sports — such as football in the fall and baseball in the spring.
Tips for Preventing Chronic Pain
Athletes are always at risk for injury, from contact sports like football to non-contact sports like swimming and gymnastics. If you become injured, you risk living with pain for a very long time — possibly the rest of your life.
Accidents happen, but being proactive whether you’re on the field or in the pool can help protect your body from injury, and thus prevent chronic pain:
- Incorporate rest days into your routine.
- Warm-up and cool-down to prevent injury.
- Stretch about 3-5 times a week.
- Build your muscular strength through strength training.
- Wear proper protective gear, from shoes to helmets and knee pads.
Treating Your Sports-Related Chronic Pain
While many doctors may simply prescribe medication for the treatment of an athlete’s pain to get them back in the game, we know this can be detrimental for many of our younger patients. Instead of treating the body, medications often ease the pain and can lead to addiction struggles.
As an alternative, osteopathic medicine operates under the philosophy that all of the body’s systems are dependent on each other for health and wellness. This is a holistic approach to care that focuses on the body as a whole, rather than a specific area, injury, or symptom.
Osteopathic Non-Surgical Medicine in Newport Beach
At Regenerative Institute of Newport Beach, we offer state-of-the-art surgical and non-surgical treatments for chronic pain and rehabilitation. To schedule a consultation with our Newport Beach pain management specialist, please contact our Patient Coordinator at (949) 301-8683.