The Doctor Is In: Injury Prevention and Improved Performance for the Baseball Player

Baseball season is fast approaching. Many of the local high school athletes have been training throughout the winter. As training intensity increases and the season is in full swing, injuries increase proportionally. There are several steps the athlete can take to prevent injury and improve performance.

1. STRETCHING. In the throwing motion, the athlete stretches out the front of the shoulder or the capsule. The back of the shoulder compensates for this by becoming tight. As a result, there is an imbalance in the shoulder capsule. With continued throwing/pitching, the athlete will begin to experiencing shoulder pain. The pain may occur in the front, back or side of the shoulder. This will affect performance including throwing/pitching speed, accuracy and endurance. Daily stretching of the back of the shoulder with Sleeper Stretches will prevent this imbalance and improve performance.

2. CORE STRENGTHENING. Important muscles for pitching and throwing are in the abdominal and low back area or the “core”. If the core is weak, throwing/pitching technique will be altered (e.g.side-arm pitching) which will affect performance and result in shoulder and/or back pain. Core strengthening should be an integral part of pre and in-season training.

3. PERISCAPULAR STRENGTHENING. The scapula or shoulder blade plays a key role in the overhead throwing athlete. Muscles originate from the scapula that
attach to the arm bone or humerus and other muscles attach the scapula to the spine. If these muscles are weak, the scapula is put in a suboptimal position and will affect throwing mechanics resulting in pain and weakness. Periscapular strengthening maintains or restores normal mechanics.

4. POSTURE GARMENT. The use of a posture garment has been scientifically proven to increase accuracy, endurance and pitching velocity.(1) While wearing the posture garment has been shown to increase shoulder muscle strength, the popular “compression” shirts have been proven to have no effect.(2) The posture garment is not only used to rehabilitate the painful shoulder in the throwing athlete, but it also improves performance and is routinely worn by many MLB players.  Implementation of a routine stretching and strengthening program in MLB players has decreased shoulder injuries by 80%.(3) Sleeper Stretches, core strengthening, periscapular strengthening and the use of a Posture Garment will reduce injury and improve performance.

If you would like to find out more about Sleeper Stretches, core strengthening and the posture garment, please contact Halbrecht Orthopedics Biologics and Sports Medicine.

1.Vangness, T, Gibbs, S, Weaver, F, House, T. The Effects of a Posture Shirt on Throwing Velocity, Throwing Accuracy and Blood Flow in Professional
Baseball Pitchers: A Pilot Study. University of Southern California Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery.2013.

2.ElAttrache, N, Owaley, K, Neri, B, Mohr, K. The Effects of an EBA Posture Sirt on Rotator Cuff Muscle Strenth. Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Foundation. 2011.
3.Morgan, C.D, team consultant Kansas City Royals. Reduction of Injuries in MBL after Implementation of a Stretching and Strengthening Program. 2009.