Baseball and shoulder pain
Shoulder diseases are very common among shooters. The gesture, typical in this sport, is especially painful for the shoulder joint. Shooters must sometimes take breaks of several days between matches in order to reduce the onset of pain. Here are some explanations and tips to follow to prevent injuries...
Why does the shoulder become painful?
Several reasons can explain the appearance of pain in the baseball pitcher:
Shoulder imbalance
Shoulder dislocations are the leading cause of shoulder pain in amateur and professional athletes. What is it ? The upper arm (the humerus) moves poorly compared to the rest of the shoulder. It's in an "odd" way. During the throwing motion, this shift disrupts the movement and causes abnormal friction within the joint. Then we talk about conflict.
Posture problem
Jugs with bent backs and rolled shoulders are more likely to develop joint pain. Postural statics are related to genetics, but not only! However, regular practice of some exercises improves things. Therefore it is necessary to strengthen not only the muscles of the chest (the anterior muscles and the internal rotators) but also the muscles in the back of the shoulder (the back muscles and the external rotators)! Indeed, these muscles participate in straightening the back and shoulder.
Internal weakness (labrum, cartilage, tendon, etc.)
After a bad fall or simply gradual wear of the shoulder, some anatomical structures can be damaged and cause pain. The labrum is fibrous cartilage (like the articular cartilage in the knee). It is sometimes cracked in a more or less significant way. Cartilage can also be eroded. Finally, the rotator cuff tendons can also become inflamed and worn out, such as the synovial bursa (a pocket of fatty fluid). These abnormalities can be the cause of pain. However, the pain should not be systematically associated with a minor anatomical lesion.
Keep in mind that these same anomalies are found in many people who don't necessarily have shoulder pain!
It's not uncommon to hear people say, "Your pain is caused by osteoarthritis (erosion of cartilage)". This is not always true!
Overtraining
The shoulder, like any other joint, needs rest. The management of training and matches must be thought out intelligently. Indeed, during the resting phases, cellular tissues can regenerate.
bad throwing gesture
The slow motion analysis of the throwing gesture often makes it possible to note some anomalies. In fact, most of the time, shooters with shoulder pain make their gestures with the shoulder stem rather than the arm. This technical error encourages weak joints.
So the bowler should work on his wrist and forearm technique, but also his shoulder technique! Feel free to elaborate your gesture in slow motion.
How do I correct his gesture?
The practice of the mathematical gesture is firmly entrenched in the brain. So changing this gesture will take a long time!
It is necessary to analyze gestures and bad practices:
The position of the statue during the throwing movement?
movement rhythm?
Expansion of joint rotation?
Shoulder core position?
Perform a slow analysis of your throwing gesture and identify with a trained coach and physical therapist what items can be modified.
Like we said before, be patient. It often takes several months to modify the mathematical gesture before it is properly integrated.