Pitcher’s Elbow

Pitcher’s Elbow, also known as medial epicondyle apophysitis, is a common injury that occurs among young baseball players. Caused by “overuse” and “repetitive motion,” Pitcher’s Elbow causes pain and swelling inside of the elbow, and can limit one’s range of motion.

Causes
The forceful and repetitive nature of overhand throwing for baseball players (pitchers in particular) can cause inflammation of the growth plate inside the throwing elbow, causing Pitcher’s Elbow. Adolescent baseball players are most likely to experience this injury because their elbow structure (bones, growth plates, and ligaments) is not fully mature or developed.

How a Physical Therapist Can Help
Physical therapists are experts in restoring and improving mobility and motion in people’s lives, and eliminating pain. For young baseball players, this means a physical therapist can work with you to help prevent Pitcher’s Elbow from occurring, and recover if it has occurred.

In addition to following the guidelines for pitch counts and recommendations for rest, a physical therapist can help baseball players prevent the occurrence of Pitcher’s Elbow by teaching them stretching and strengthening exercises that are individualized for their specific needs.

Everybody is different, which means Pitcher’s Elbow may occur for different reasons for each person. A physical therapist can help a player recover, by designing an individualized treatment plan to regain range of motion,  flexibility, and strength.

Tip Courtesy of moveforwardpt.com.

Scerbo Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation, 725 River Road, Suite 60 (Marketplace), Edgewater, New Jersey 07020.