Preventing arm injuries

I would like to add a few thoughts that I have learned over the years about arm injuries. The most common reason for the arm injuries that I have seen is lack of proper preparation before the season. This doesn't seem to be as bad for the top HS pitchers as much as middle school and JV players. They simply do not start throwing before the season starts. Proper preparation should include beginning a good throwing program at least 2 months prior to the start of pre-season practice. This throwing gives the muscles time to condition for the strain of heavy throwing. Proper preparation for the HS player should also include a weight program. Most on this board realize that weight training for pitchers is totally different from weight training for football or even other baseball position players. The goal of weight training for a pitcher should be to strengthen the core muscles (upper and lower back, legs, buttocks, abdomen) and strengthen the rotator cuff muscles. This weight training will most likely not increase velocity but its worth is in injury prevention. If the core muscles are not strong, then proper balance and mechanics will be very difficult. The result is that the arm will have to compensate for poor balance and mechanics and become more susceptible to injury. Also, remember that when you throw a pitch 85mph, your arm is going 85mph at release and goes to 0 mph at the end of follow through-that is a very short distance for that kind of deceleration. Your rotator cuff and upper and lower back muscles are responsible for that quick deceleration. Therefore, in preseason weight training , you should concentrate on these muscles. I was once told that you should spend 3 times more repetitions on posterior muscles as you do on anterior muscles. I feel that overhead weight lifting can potentially put increased strain on the shoulder joint and therefore should be done very carefully, if at all.
Sometimes, even with the best of preparation, arm troubles do occur. Look at Mark Prior. When arm troubles do occur, it is very important to recognize the signals that your body gives you. Pain is a signal that something is wrong. If you develop a sharp pain while throwing, you should see a physician right away that is familiar with sports medicine. Sharp pain is a sign of a more serious injury.. Soreness is certainly going to happen to all pitchers after they pitch. That is the reason for icing after throwing more than 45- 50 pitches, regardless of game or practice situations. If the soreness resolves within 1-2 days of pitching, that is considered normal. But if the soreness persists and continues with the each throwing event, then you should also seek proper medical advice and plan on missing a start or two until you have rehabed your arm and you can throw without pain. Again, do not ignore pain.

 

Great thread. Probably should have been started earlier. A lot of great information and suggestions already and I cannot add too much new material. But I can say that I especially agree with the idea that injury prevention begins well before the season does. And it is something that both coaches and parents need to vigilantly stay on top of throughout the year.
From a coach's perspective, I think there are too many instances of ignoring or overlooking relatively simple methods of preventive maintenance. So many H.S. pitchers are also key position players and may throw a pen in between starts but mainly focus on their fielding and hitting.
Pitchers can gain a great deal from 1 or 2 light-to-medium pens in between starts, if possible. Doing relatively nothing for a few days and then coming out throwing 100% is terrible for the arm. There are many pitchers who get into a routine of throwing 90+ pitches in their start, rest, rest, rest and then throw another game. I know it's tough sometimes, but if a pitcher has only enough time in between starts to rest then he's not completely ready for the next start.
If you compare preparing for a pitcher's start to preparing for running a marathon, you would gradually work your way up to a specific peak, then gear down a couple days before the game, and start all over afterward.
I really believe that, beyond their off-season prep, the behavior of high school pitchers between starts is the primary source of many arm injuries.

 

For a completely different take on arm care for pitchers, read Dr. Mike Marshall's website. I know, it's a difficult read, but in 5 to 10 years his theories will push the "traditional" pitching motion aside and pitchers will learn to throw without danger of injuring their arms. His intimate knowledge of the forces placed on the various mucles, tendons and bones during the pitching motion make it very difficult to dispute his explanations for the causes of pitching arm injuries and how to prevent them. Here's his website: www.drmikemarshall.com