Introduction:
Baseball is a favorite summer sport for both adults and children. Although known as “America’s pastime,” this activity can result in several injuries due to the stress it places on both the upper and lower body. Let’s review the most common injuries suffered by those who play this sport.
Rotator Cuff Tear:
Throwing and pitching place stress on the rotator muscles of the shoulder joint. These muscles help hold the shoulder in place as well as raise your arm up in the air. With repetitive overhead shoulder activities (such as throwing or pitching), these muscles can develop little tears by rubbing against the bone they are located under. This injury can range from slight tears with no pain to full tears with significant pain and loss of shoulder motion.
Elbow Tendonitis:
The backward and forward motion performed while throwing a ball overhead places a significant strain on the ligaments at the elbow joint. With time, these ligaments become irritated and painful, a condition called tendonitis. Tendonitis of the elbow is experienced by many baseball players throughout the season.
Back Strain:
Strains describe a type of injury that results from overstretching muscles. Winding up before a throw involves twisting the large muscles of the back. If these are overstretched, a strain injury can result
Ankle Sprain:
Ankle sprains are one of the most common types of sports injuries. A sprained ankle results when the ligaments of the ankle joint are overstretched. This results in a small or complete tear of the affected ligament. This injury is frequently the result during fast-paced running or sliding into a base.
