by Children's Medical Center

Dallas, Texas

April 27, 2010

Studies show that repetitive-use injuries are on the rise in young athletes, and a year-round focus on a single sport may be partly to blame.

"Intense, full-time efforts in one sport can lead to a lot of the overuse injuries in these children," said Dr. Philip Wilson, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon in the Sports Medicine Center at Children's. "This is damage we used to never see until they were late in high school or even college."

True to their name, repetitive-use injuries are caused when certain motions or sports actions are repeated too much in too little time. Physical activity breaks down the body, and a certain level of rest is required for the body to recover, especially in children whose bodies are still growing.