Know What Factors Increase Your Risk of Injury

Muscle Imbalance: Kids who spend all the day slouching - in desks at school, playing video games, on the computer, or sitting in front of the television, are prone to muscle imbalances due to weakness in the rotator cuff muscles, especially the external rotators and scapular (shoulder blade/postural muscles). These muscle imbalances are also prominent in the parents who work all day at a desk/computer or who spend excessive amount of time driving. These imbalances can lead to poor shoulder mechanics and should be corrected to prevent injury.

Poor Throwing Mechanics: The high stresses and angular velocities used in overhead throwing put high demands on the shoulder joint. Poor mechanics in combination with these strains put the shoulder and elbow at a high risk for injury. A session with a coach to evaluate throwing mechanics can be very beneficial if signs of shoulder soreness or pain show up early in your return to throwing.

No Warm-up/Poor Throwing Progression: Lack of proper warm-up does not allow for increased circulation to the muscles in the shoulder. Without an increase in circulation, the athlete is not prepared for the high demands of throwing. Over a period of weeks prior to the season and as an athlete gets back to throwing, it is important to gradually increase distances and high speeds. This conditions the shoulder and decreases the risk of strain and overuse.

Prepare Your Shoulder for an Injury-Free Season

• Warm ups, including exercises like arm circles and proper stretching, increase circulation to the muscles preparing them for throwing activity and promotes a better recovery period.
• Performing surgical tubing exercises strengthen the rotator cuff muscles and promote good muscle balance in the shoulder. These exercises also maximize elasticity, flexibility and range of motion in the shoulder.
• Throwing long toss to stretch the arm out promotes loose arm action and mechanical consistency. Long toss should "feel good" and beginners should start at short distances of 100 to 150 ft. for the first couple weeks.
• If you're a pitcher, set up a daily and weekly pitch limit and keep count of the number of pitches you throw. "Ramp up" your pitch count until your arm is "game ready." This process should start several weeks before your first game. The American Sports Medicine Institute has recommendations for proper throwing progressions available online.
• When your shoulder does get sore, ice approximately 10 to 15 minutes and rest your shoulder. If soreness lasts longer than one hour or into the next day, 1 to 2 days of rest should be taken. When you return to throwing, start with a progression to reach your previous level of activity.
• Whether you're an athlete or a parent, preparing your shoulder for the season should not be overlooked. If you feel shoulder soreness is sticking around longer than the usual soreness after returning to throwing, don't wait to get it looked at. The sooner the injury is correctly diagnosed and treated, the quicker the recovery. Continued throwing activity when having pain can increase the severity of the injury and can lead to additional injuries, such as elbow or back pain. The staff at Camelback Mountain Sports Medicine is trained to evaluate and treat shoulder injuries. Immediate treatment and a prescribed strengthening/stretching protocol will enable you to STAY IN THE GAME and avoid the DL this season.

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