September means back to school—and for Manlius families, the return of fall sports, practices, conditioning and competition.

Hopefully young athletes have been preparing throughout the summer. But when an athlete goes from a relatively quiet summer to preseason camp or two-a-day practices, the body can sometimes break down faster than it can repair itself—even when that athlete is young and healthy.

That's the cause of many overuse injuries.

Unlike an acute injury that happens during one incident that can be remembered, overuse injuries develop gradually when repeated stress exceeds the body's ability to recover. Tendons, muscles, bones and joints all need appropriate time to adapt to increasing loads.

Pain that persists, swelling, limping, loss of motion or declining performance shouldn't simply be "toughed out."

And here's something I especially want young athletes and parents to remember: use your Certified Athletic Trainers (ATCs).

Fayetteville-Manlius-area student-athletes are fortunate to have excellent ATCs working with their athletic programs. An Athletic Trainer isn't simply someone who tapes ankles. ATCs are healthcare professionals trained to recognize, evaluate and manage athletic injuries and determine when something needs additional medical attention. If something doesn't feel right, tell your ATC early rather than hiding it to stay in the lineup.

Hydration also becomes critical during late-summer practices. Athletes should arrive well hydrated, have regular opportunities for fluids and take symptoms of heat illness seriously. Trying to "tough out" dizziness, unusual weakness, nausea, headache or confusion can be dangerous.

When an injury does occur, modern regenerative sports medicine gives us additional tools.

At Victory In Motion, MLS healing laser therapy provides a noninvasive option involving no needles, injections or pills. MLS technology has been FDA-cleared since 2005. There is usually no downtime from the laser itself, and we can combine treatment with V-Motion Fit Total Body Fitness, Strength & Conditioning to work on strength, mechanics and progressive return to activity. 

Playing status, of course, should always be based on the actual injury.

For selected injuries, regenerative medicine options including PRP and bone marrow aspirate cells (BMAC) may also help support the body's healing response without surgery. And when surgery truly is necessary, a comprehensive rehabilitation and recovery strategy remains essential for safely getting the athlete back.

For 27 years, as a fellowship-trained regenerative orthopedic sports medicine surgeon trained at the American Sports Medicine Institute with Dr. James Andrews and Dr. William Clancy, one of my greatest professional passions has been helping athletes return to their sport as quickly—and as SAFELY—as possible.

Don't sacrifice an entire season because you ignored something in September. Listen to your body, talk to your ATC, and get persistent symptoms evaluated early. At Victory In Motion, we offer same-day Clarity Day appointments designed to determine the true root cause of the problem and give you answers that same day—guaranteed. From there, we'll explain your treatment options, always looking first for a safe, non-operative path whenever possible, with the goal of getting the athlete healthy and safely back to the sport they love.

For a deeper understanding of my approach, my Amazon #1 bestselling book, Repair Not Replace, is available on Amazon.