Frequent Injuries in Baseball

Most Common Injuries in Baseball

For obvious reasons, baseball isn’t considered a high-risk sport like football or ice hockey – mostly because it isn’t a collision sport. Regardless, baseball brings its own risks. You are running, jumping, sliding (sometimes) and swinging a bat at a high velocity which puts you in danger of muscle strain, especially after long practice sessions. Consequently, baseball players frequently suffer from golf and tennis elbow – their ligaments are fatigued and deteriorating over time; and we haven’t even considered the risk of falling, collisions, and the danger associated with a hard ball flying at over 99m/h (albeit a generous estimate for most).

Types of Shoulder Pain

The most commonly overused muscle in baseball is the shoulder – usually during pitching. Shoulder tendonitis is common in young athletes who use overhead throws and the windmill pitch can cause a myriad of problems, especially when combined with poor form. Torn rotator cuffs can develop in the rotator cuff tendons and older players may begin experiencing Frozen Shoulder which reduces motion and causes pain in the shoulder joint. The shoulder can become unstable when combined with long periods of overhead throwing as the motion stretches the ligaments, leading to loose joints and sometimes dislocation. Finally, and possibly all pitchers’ worst nightmare is the Shoulder Separation – which is a traumatic injury that is a result of falling or colliding with a hard object with an outstretched hand.

Pain in the Elbow

Throughout the last couple of weeks, we outlined exactly what Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow was, and top ways of curing. We will go over it quickly now, but if you want a more in-depth guide, follow the links below.

Golfers Elbow and how to treat it – Click Here

Tennis Elbow and how to treat it – Click Here

PRICE Routine to help with minor sprains – Click Here

Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow are like two sides of the same coin. When the tendons in the arm are overloaded we often experience a dull pain on the outside of the forearm. Tennis Elbow denotes a pain felt due to overuse on the outside of the arm above the elbow whereas Golfer’s elbow is in a similar location but slightly under the elbow. Follow the links above to learn more.

Overloading the Spine

The human spine is a wonderous structure – we really couldn’t function without it. It transmits information from nerve endings all over the body through the central nervous system to the brain, and if that wasn’t enough, it is also the structure that keeps us standing up straight on two legs. It’s worth looking after your spine. Baseball poses a slight risk to the spine. Although admittedly it is a small risk – because the spine is so important – it is worth covering.

Catchers are prone to back injury during baseball due to the crouched position and overhead throwing. Some pitchers may also experience back damage especially when using the windmill pitch.

The most common damage sustained to the spine is muscle strains in the upper and lower back. This is usually dealt with rather simply by a physiotherapist or a sports massage (and rest). However, there is also a risk of a herniated disk which is when a disc in the spine ruptures and pinches surrounding nerves. This can be an agonizing experience. If you believe you have suffered from a herniated disc you should seek medical attention immediately. Even if it was only a small rupture, the damage could be exponentially augmenting each time you play – eventually leading to a severe hernia. As always, prevention is the best form of treatment.

If you have suffered from anything mentioned above and believe you could benefit from a rehab plan or require medical attention, please contact us at Mount Sinai Department of Rehabilitative Medicine for a bespoke rehab plan. We’ll get you back on the field ASAP. Contact our switchboard at (212) 241-6321