Sports And Injury: Teen Girls Suffer From Higher Rates Of 'Overuse' Injuries

Female athletes are significantly more likely to suffer from overuse injuries when compared to their male counterparts, a recent study suggests. 

Researchers from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center analyzed 3,000 male and female injury cases over a seven year period across 20 high school sports and found that girls are significantly more likely to suffer stress fractures, tendinitis and joint pain. 

Furthermore, results revealed that the highest rate of overuse injuries occurred in girls track (3.82), followed by girls field hockey (2.93) and girls lacrosse (2.73). Overuse injuries in boys were most found in swimming and diving (1.3). As some muscles tend to be overused in sports, this can be particularly important to better address any potential related issues. 

"These young people spend more time playing sports both in competition and in practice. So, there's a correlation there between the amount of time that they're playing and the increased incidence of injuries," Dr. Thomas Best of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, said in a news release. 

"During this point of their lives, this is when girls are developing bones at the greatest rate," Best added. "It's incredibly important that they're getting the proper amounts of calcium and vitamin D."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Journal of Pediatrics.

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