Understanding the Risk Factors for Overuse Injuries in the Gym
- Julian Simpson
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
Understanding the Risk Factors for Overuse Injuries in the Gym
What happens in an overuse injury?
Overuse injuries are categorised as chronic injuries that occur most frequently with repetitive use or injury. In addition, the lack of sufficient time for these injuries to heal appropriately plays a fundamental role in developing this cumulative type of injury
Who gets overuse injuries in sport? VS Who gets acute injuries in sport?
Overuse injuries are most commonly associated with low-contact sports such as volleyball, softball, soccer, and hockey. High-contact sports, on the other hand, e.g. football and wrestling, were associated with acute injuries rather than overuse injuries
What are the risks of developing an overuse injury?
Poor training technique, inadequate rest, lack of good preparedness, along with excessive loading, are linked with an increased risk of developing overuse injuries
As well as, decreased muscle mass, high estrogen levels, and increased body fat put the female gender at a greater risk.
What makes bodybuilders at risk of injuries?
Several factors, including overtraining and a lack of dedication to training principles, training mistakes, subpar performance, and inadequate technique, may have increased the likelihood of injuries among bodybuilders.
More force, faster contraction speed, and greater stretch are all associated with a higher risk of injury in muscles.
Why do weight training and resistance training lead to overuse injuries?
Resistance or weight training-related injuries may result from participants’ incapacity to manage the weight they choose or train with, primarily because it may provide a feeling of accomplishment, and improper technique knowledge may raise the risk of injury.
Let's discuss overuse tendonopathy
Overuse tendinopathy is a form of tendon degeneration that causes pain, swelling, and a decreased range of motion in the affected tendon. It most commonly occurs in the shoulders and elbows, typically due to excessive mechanical strain on the tendon. A classic example is when athletes swing their arms while playing tennis or golf, which increases the risk of injuring the elbow joint. Similarly, basketball and volleyball involve frequent jumping, which is associated with injuries to the knee joints.
What sites are more prone to overuse injury?
In a 2025 study, anatomical site of injury were mostly shoulder (25.2%), then knee (20.2%), lower back (17.7%), thigh (14.3%), foot (4.5%), ankle (3.3%), upper back (3.3%), wrist (2.2%), and others (9.4%)
What are the most common things to go wrong in overuse injuries in the gym?
Based on a 2025 study, strain/muscle rupture/tear (35.70%), muscle cramps or spasm (19.3%), tendinosis/tendinopathy (17.9%), contusion/hematoma/bruise (7.4%), dislocation, subluxation (6.1%) were the most frequent sports injuries Should you decrease or increase the time duration at the gym?
Longer gym sessions are associated with a higher prevalence of strain/muscle rupture/tear, dislocation, subluxation and others.
Shorter gym sessions showed a higher prevalence of muscle cramps or spasms and contusion/hematoma/bruise
Gym sessions from 1 to 2 hours had a high prevalence in tendinosis/tendinopathy. As the duration of training per day increased, we noticed that the prevalence of injuries significantly increased
How can Chiropractors help you recover from your overuse injury at the gym?
Shockwave therapy for damaged tendons
Dry Needling and cupping for tight muscles
Adjusting the subluxations in the spine and arms, and legs to promote a better range of motion
Massage Therapy to promote better blood flow and healing
For more information about how we can help YOU with your sports performance and/or injury. Please call Health Wise Chiropractic 03 9467 7889 or book online to see one of our Chiropractors in Sunbury or Melton/Strathtulloh Today!
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Hetaimish B, Ahmed H, Otayn A, Alzahrani AM, Almasoudi E, Elaiw M, Alzwaihri AS, Samargandi R. Prevalence, and types of overuse injuries in gym centers: A cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia. Medicine (Baltimore). 2024 Jul 12;103(28):e38830. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000038830. PMID: 38996100; PMCID: PMC11245209.
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