Blog: Preventing Youth Shoulder Injuries: Part II

This is the second in a series designed to educate you all on some things that you can do to prevent your child's arm from hurting. The previous blog discussed tracking a pitch count, which is something that you can do while they are in season.

If you are asking yourself if there is anything to do preseason, you are asking the right question. There are several things that you can do and that will be the focus of this blogs topic. 

Before the season is in full swing, it is important that you have your arm in good condition. Throwing and conditioning should start at least one to two months beforehand.

There are several ways that you can accomplish this, but one of the most common is by following an interval throwing program. These programs are commonly used by the majors and are nice because they define the distance and number of throws you need to complete at each distance.

When performing this program, it is important that if you have pain at any distance to stop and rest. Do not throw through the pain as it will just create other issues. For a sample of one of these programs, click here! Please note that it is suggested that youths under the age of 17 only throw up to 120 feet and not continue to the 180 feet present in this program.

Now that you have an idea and a program to start with, it is important that you stretch before and after practices and games. It is even recommended to stretch multiple times during the day if you have a current complaint or issue. If you currently have pain in the shoulder it would be a great time to have it assessed by a physician so that it doesn't result in lost playing time or a season ending injury.

While there are numerous stretches out there to perform, there is one that has really stood out. The sleeper stretch is one that has some great literature backing it, and if internal rotation is lacking, you or your child should be performing it. 

These are a few things that you can do to help prevent your child from suffering from an injury. It is always suggested that an injury be evaluated by a professional, as the information above is designed to assist in preventing injuries from occurring.

If you have questions or concerns regarding the material, please do not hesitate to contact Team Chiropractic and Rehabilitation. Don't forget to look for part III of this series next week!