The Volume vs Intensity Mistake That Causes Most Overuse Injuries

By Dr. Andrew Kakishita, DC

Kinetic Chiropractic | Lehi, Utah

What People Often Think

Many people assume injuries happen because something was too intense.

They think the problem was lifting something heavy or pushing too hard during a workout.

Intensity can matter, but many overuse injuries happen for a different reason.

Understanding Volume and Intensity

Intensity describes how hard something is.

Volume describes how much of it you do.

Running fast is high intensity. Walking several miles every day is high volume.

Both create stress on the body, but many injuries happen when volume increases too quickly.

How Overuse Injuries Develop

Muscles, tendons, and joints adapt to stress gradually.

When activity suddenly increases, tissues may not have enough time to adjust. That repeated stress can lead to irritation and pain.

This is common with conditions like plantar fasciitis, tendon pain, and certain types of knee or hip pain.

A Simple Way to Reduce Risk

A helpful approach is to increase activity gradually.

Small increases allow tissues to adapt. Paying attention to how your body feels the next day can also provide useful feedback.

When Tendon Pain Persists

Some tendon problems do not settle easily with rest alone.

Research supports shockwave therapy as a treatment option for certain chronic tendon conditions. It can help stimulate healing and improve the tissue’s ability to tolerate load.

The Takeaway

Many overuse injuries are related to doing too much too quickly.

Managing how much activity you add each week helps your body adapt and stay healthy.