Overuse Injuries

At Twin Acupuncture in the New Springville neighborhood of New York City’s Staten Island borough, acupuncture specialist Kerri Kuhlsen, L.Ac., c.SMA, holistically treats tendinitis, shin splints, stress fractures, and other overuse injuries to stimulate natural healing and avoid pain medication and surgery. Schedule an appointment by phone or request one online today for relief.

What are overuse injuries?

Overuse injuries are those suffered through overuse (overtraining or repetitive motions). These injuries are common among athletes, people who type a lot, and those working in physically demanding jobs.

Overuse injuries often begin as minor and increase in severity to excruciating injuries when left untreated. See Kerri at the first sign of an overuse injury to receive all-natural treatments that optimize holistic healing.

What are examples of overuse injuries?

Common overuse injuries include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Fractures
• Little League shoulder
• Little League elbow
• Sever’s disease (Achilles tendon pulling on the heel bone; found mostly among children)
• Shin splints (shin pain and tenderness)
• Osgood-Schlatter disease (painful bump and swelling below the knee in children and teens)
• Osteochondritis dissecans (tissue separation from the bone in children and teens)

• Spondylolysis (stress fractures in the lower back)
• Tennis elbow
• Sinding-Larsen-Johansson disease (injured knee growth plate in children and young teens)
• Swimmer’s shoulder

Seeking early treatment for these and other overuse injuries reduces the risk of the problems getting worse.

What symptoms do overuse injuries cause?

The symptoms of overuse injuries include:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Bruising
• Tenderness
• Decrease range of motion
• Reduced mobility
• Weakness
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Burning discomfort

The pain from an overuse injury often begins as mild, gradually increasing in severity.

What causes overuse injuries?

The cause of overuse injuries is often a lack of strength or flexibility, overtraining, and not warming up and stretching regularly before exercise, sports training, and competition. It could stem from poor nutrition, improper footwear, not letting your body rest, previous injuries, poor conditioning, and playing contact sports.

In children, growing bones and growth spurts are also risk factors. 

How are overuse injuries diagnosed?

Diagnosing overuse injuries involves discussing your medical history, lifestyle, and symptoms, followed by a physical exam. You might need nerve testing, as well as X-rays, an MRI, an ultrasound, or another imaging procedure.

How are overuse injuries treated?

Treating overuse injuries at Twin Acupuncture can involve:

• Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE)
• Splint, boot, or brace
• Physical therapy
• Acupuncture
• Cupping therapy
• Dry needling
• Electroacupuncture
• Cross training

Kerri creates a custom treatment plan consisting of one or more sessions to stimulate your body’s natural ability to heal and ease discomfort without harsh medication or invasive surgery.

If you suspect an overuse injury, schedule an evaluation with Kerri at Twin Acupuncture by calling the office or booking an appointment online today.