EL PHYSICAL THERAPY ICIAN UPDATE er Injuries In Baseball or the Medical Community
com).³ Monitor and limit pitch count. This becomes even more critical to a player's health when they are playing for multiple teams as coaches may not always be on the same page. MLB. com is a great resource with detailed pitch count limits for each age group.4 Allow for adequate warm up prior to any bout of pitching or throwing. This may include, but is not limited to, a cardiovascular warm up, dynamic mobility/stretching and use of light to moderate strength resistance bands to “prime” the musculature of the shoulder. To summarize, the number one reason for injury is fatigue and overuse. This can be too many pitches in one game, not enough days off between throwing or too many innings in one year. Additionally, while much of the focus lies on the shoulder and elbow in baseball players, it is also critically important to address deficiencies throughout the rest of the body. In addition to assessing for weakness or inadequate range of motion of the shoulder, players should be assessed for adequate mobility and strength of the spine, trunk, hips and ankles. If there are deficiencies in one or more areas of the body, they can contribute to pain, injury and reduced performance of the throwing shoulder and arm. Working on sound throwing mechanics is essential as well, but one should use caution when attempting to drastically change a player’s throwing mechanics in-season. Prior to the season, consulting with a physical therapist with knowledge of throwing mechanics may be beneficial. Additionally, if a player starts to feel pain that does not go away with rest, a physical therapist may be able to help not only reduce the pain but also determine the root cause of the injury in order to prevent recurrence or a new injury in the future.
.com 4 Saper, M., Pierpoint, L. P., Liu, W., & Comstock, D. (2017, October). Epidemiology of Shoulder eved January, 2021, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319018752_Epidemiology_of_ ool_Baseball_Players_2005-2006_Through_2014-2015
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