 South Mountain Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation supports the Stop Sports Injuries campaign to prevent sports injuries of children and adolescents playing sports. The national campaign has developed tips and advice for parents and healthcare providers for a variety of sports (see Stop Sports Injuries Tip Sheets). Many youngsters participate in competitive baseball during the summer months. You may find it useful to review some of the tips recommended from by Stop Sports Injuries and share them with your child athlete. For a copy of the full tip sheet, click here.
If a young athlete is throwing too hard, too much, too early, and without rest, a serious elbow or shoulder injury may be on the horizon. If the athlete complains of elbow or shoulder pain the day after throwing, or movement of the joint is painful or restricted compared to the opposite side, see a physician familiar with youth sports injuries immediately.
Overuse injuries — especially those related to the UCL and shoulder — are preventable. Some tips to keep you in the game throughout your life include:
- Warm up properly by stretching, running, and easy, gradual throwing
- Rotate playing other positions besides pitcher
- Concentrate on age-appropriate pitching
- Adhere to pitch count guidelines, such as those established by Little League Baseball (see flyer)
- Avoid pitching on multiple teams with overlapping seasons
- Don’t pitch with elbow or shoulder pain, if the pain persists, see a doctor
- Don’t pitch on consecutive days
- Don’t play year-round
- Never use a radar gun
- Communicate regularly about how your arm is feeling and if there is pain
- Develop skills that are age appropriate
- Emphasize control, accuracy, and good mechanics
- Master the fastball first and the change-up second, before considering breaking pitches
- Speak with a sports medicine professional or athletic trainer if you have any concerns about injuries or prevention strategies
Many youth sports injuries are preventable. Once an injury occurs it can damage a youth's hopes and aspirations as an athlete. Help prevent this kind of trauma by taking appropriate precautions to prevent injury or to provide appropriate treatment when an injury occurs.
REFERENCES
Stop Sports Injuries Web site: http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org
Stop Sports Injuries Sports Tip: Baseball Injuries. Found at http://stopsportsinjuries.reingoldweb.com/files/pdf/AOSSM_Baseball.pdf. June 20, 2010 |
