Examples of overuse injuries include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects your arms and hands. 
• IT (iliotibial) Band Syndrome, which affects the connective tissue from your hip to the outside of your knee. 
• Plantar fasciitis, which causes heel pain. 
• Runner’s knee, an injury where muscle tightness causes your kneecap to move out of place. 
• Shin splints, an overuse injury that causes pain along your shin bone. 
• Shoulder bursitis, inflammation in the fluid-filled sacs (bursae) that cushion your shoulder. 
• Hip bursitis, inflammation in the fluid-filled sacs (bursae) that cushion your hip. 
• Tennis elbow, inflammation in the tendons along the outside of your elbow. 
• Tendonitis / tendinosis, inflammation or wear and tear in the tendons connecting muscle to bone throughout the body 

Overuse injuries happen over time when you frequently repeat the same movements. This can happen in a variety of activities and settings.

Your physician will ask about the activities that may have led to your injury.

You will likely need one or more imaging tests, such as:

• X-ray, a scan that shows problems with your bones.
• CT scan, a test that creates an image of your bones and other internal structures
• MRI, a scan that uses magnets and radio waves to show damage to your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones.
• Ultrasound, an imaging test that uses sound waves to generate an image of soft tissues to assess injury or abnormality.

UC Davis Department of Radiology experts use and help develop the most advanced imaging equipment and techniques. Sports medicine physicians may use ultrasound at the point of care in your clinic visit for real-time assessment.

Treatment for overuse injuries depends on which area of your body is injured and how severe the injury is. You may be able to treat a mild injury at home with ice, pain relievers and rest.

For more severe injuries, our expert physicians, surgeons and therapists will create a treatment plan guided by your personal activity goals.

It can be hard to prevent overuse injuries if repetitive movements are part of your job or daily life. But there are a few things you can do.