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
