Overuse Syndromes
Characterized by chronic inflammation of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and bones
The overuse syndrome

With the term ‘Overuse syndromes’ we refer to a group of diseases characterized by chronic inflammation of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and bones. The inflammation arises from repeated stress during everyday life, mainly from sports or repeated occupational activities. Usually, these inflammatory conditions are characterized by severe pain, limited mobility, swelling and periods of exacerbation and remission depending on the case.

Overuse syndromes mainly affect the upper and lower extremities, but there are many cases where the symptoms can occur in the spine. Typical examples are the cervical syndrome and the carpal tunnel syndrome, which affect a large number of people, who work daily in front of a computer for prolonged hours. The most common symptoms include upper back and neck pain, headaches, migraines, dizziness, pins and needles and numbness in the arms with reduced range of motion.
Another well-known example of overuse syndrome is the truck, bus and taxi drivers and generally speaking people who drive a lot daily. Due to poor posture and long sitting hours, combined with lack of exercise, they very often suffer from lower back pain and sciatica. Chronic, intense, prolonged pain with stiffness during standing and with numbness or burning sensation along the back of the leg that sometimes reaches down to the sole of the foot.


The classic overuse syndrome of the upper limb is related to occupations, activities and sports that due to a strong repetition of a specific movement causes inflammation, pain and consequently injury. Typical examples are the plumber, the carpenter, or the tennis player who often have elbow pain, the so called “tennis elbow syndrome”. Another classic example is that of the painter, the electrician or the javelin thrower who develops “shoulder tendinitis or rotator cuff syndrome” with pain, stiffness and immobility. Least but not last comes the marathon runner, the personal trainer and the farmer who often suffer from pain in the hip (trochanteritis), pain on the front part of the lower leg (shin splint syndrome) or pain at the back of the heel (Achilles tendinitis) due to overuse.
The main goal of physiotherapy in all these cases is to initially reduce the periods of exacerbation of pain and inflammation, and with proper retraining protocols to reeducate and restore the tissues to their normal state. Also, a key part of physiotherapy in the final stage of treatment is to strengthen and shield the affected area in order to avoid the vicious cycle of recurrence of symptoms when returning back to everyday life.