June/July 2022 - 22

BaseBall
I realize telling a baseball pitcher not to ice a sore arm
is difficult but, always icing the affected area needs to
be re-examined more closely and I would encourage all
athletes to allow the natural inflammation process to
occur when dealing with just muscle soreness. There is
a physiological difference between muscle soreness and
musculoskeletal injury. It is this author's belief that icing
an acute injury for 5-10 minutes for pain control is ok -
although I realize that too can be controversial. We will
continue to hear more about icing injuries in the future.
CONCLUSION
The medial elbow is a vulnerable area in young pitchers
and any elbow pain should be addressed immediately.
The high valgus forces of pitching put tremendous
stress on the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). It is the late
acceleration phase of pitching where the most torque
along with the greatest likelihood of injury occurs.
Some of the risk factors identified for medial elbow
injury include: overuse, fatigue, pitching more than eight
months per year, exceeding age-specific pitch counts,
and throwing greater than 85 MPH. More interestingly,
the kyphotic angle and elbow extension deficit were two
newer risk factors found to lead to elbow injuries in young
baseball players. Other areas of concern that tend to be
ongoing are throwing more than 100 throws in practice/
games, showcases, and using proper throwing mechanics.
Young pitchers that are taller and heavier tend to
throw harder which could make them more susceptible
to an elbow injury. Warm-up pitches may be a risk factor
to consider and there may be an optimal number not
yet identified. In addition, the use of radar guns is not
suggested by some organizations but continues to be
used by scouts. It is also advised that pitchers not be
catchers also because of the risk of throwing more than
100 throws in a practice or game.
These are some of the latest challenges involved
in protecting the young elbow and if the medical and
academic community can continue to identify risk
factors, parents, coaches, athletes, and healthcare
professionals can take greater responsibility for taking
the correct actions to actually reduce the number of
elbow injuries in our young baseball players and keep
them healthier and more productive through their
adolescent years and beyond. n
About the author: P.J. Gardner, LAT, ATC, CSCS, PES,
CES is the Athletic Trainer at Liberty High School in
Colorado Springs. He writes various sports training/injury
prevention articles for different publications. He can be
reached at: pj.gardner@asd20.org
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June/July 2022

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