Baseball is generally among the safer sports for children, but shoulder and elbow overuse injuries are a major problem, especially in youth baseball pitchers.
Overuse Injuries
- Little leaguers’ elbow and shoulder are common in youth throwers
- Greatest risk factor for injury is volume of pitches. Arm pain, high pitch velocity, traveling baseball and participation in showcases also risk factors
- Recent surveys to youth baseball players show that a large percentage have some arm pain while throwing.
- 5% of youth pitchers sustain a serious shoulder or elbow injury within 10 years
Prevention
- Parents and coaches are key to prevention and must act in the child’s best interest
- If a player has arm pain, avoiding throwing, ice, NSAIDs, and stretching are all important factors in recovery. Seeing a sports medicine physician is critical in the absence of improvement
- Players should have a consistent routine for conditioning and core strength exercises when not actively participating in throwing activities
American Sports Medicine Institute Guidelines
- If adolescent pitcher shows signs of fatigue, must rest from throwing
- Avoid any overhead throwing for more than 8 months out of the year
- Pitch under 100 innings in any calendar year
- Follow limits for pitch counts and rest days, based on age
- Focus on proper pitching mechanics early
- Coaches should avoid using radar guns, which are associated with increased injuries
- Pitcher should not be the catcher for his team (more throws = higher injury risk)
- If pitcher complains of shoulder or elbow pain, must discontinue pitching and see a sports medicine physician
Traumatic Injuries and prevention
- Injuries from collisions, fielding, batting, base-running, etc may be unavoidable at times.
- Protective equipment, including face guards lower the risk of traumatic injuries, including dental trauma.
- Stretching, proper technique and avoidance of fatigue are best to minimize risk of injury in youth athletes.
References:
Melugin HP, Leafblad ND, Camp CL, Conte S. Injury Prevention in Baseball: from Youth to the Pros. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2018;11(1):26-34. doi:10.1007/s12178-018-9456-5
