Baseball is an overhand sport with the same motions repeated numerous times. These repetitive motions can lead to overuse injuries if players don’t give themselves proper rest. Baseball players are susceptible to many injuries, especially in the elbow, shoulder, and wrist. Our elbow surgeon in Suffolk County is well-versed in treating baseball injuries and is here to teach you what injuries baseball players are most susceptible to.
Common causes of baseball injuries
Baseball players typically play every day for months at a time, which can take a toll on the body from the repeated forces. This is known as overuse and is caused by placing too much repetitive stress on muscles and ligaments. Other causes of injuries to baseball players include sliding or diving into a base, improper playing form or equipment, and being hit with a ball or bat.
Injuries baseball players are most susceptible to
- Rotator Cuff Tear – A rotator cuff tear is a common injury for baseball pitchers. Even though pitchers have off days and more time to rest between their appearances in games, the speed, and power used by them can cause shoulder injuries. Overuse of the shoulder muscles and tendons is the main cause of a rotator cuff tear. Shoulder pain for baseball players may start as tendonitis. If a player continues to throw with pain, tendonitis, and no treatment, the tendons will tear. Typically, tendonitis recovers with rest, but a rotator cuff tear will require shoulder surgery.
- Elbow Tendonitis – The elbow is a spot of tendonitis for baseball players that our elbow surgeon in Suffolk County has treated frequently. Many people know this injury as tennis elbow, even though it can happen in other sports like baseball. Just like the previous injury, overuse is the cause of this joint pain. Too much stress on the elbow when hitting or pitching develops elbow tendonitis, especially when the player is not getting enough rest in between games and practices.
- Meniscus Tear – Most movements in baseball put stress on different parts of the player’s body, including running, throwing, and hitting. When you are running, the knees are bent back and forth while supporting your body weight. When hitting, your knees are twisted from one direction to another. A proper warm-up and stretching routine loosens up your body before games and practices and decreases your risk of a meniscus tear. The meniscus gives the knee bones cushioning and support, but any kind of tear is painful. Minor meniscus tears heal naturally while more serious ones require treatment.
- Hand and wrist injuries – When on the field, players are frequently diving and sliding to make plays while fielding or get to the base before being tagged out. If a catch or landing doesn’t happen as planned, players can injure their hands, fingers, and wrists when making contact with a player, base, or the ground. These injuries are harder to prevent than others since they happen so quickly.
Click here to learn more about injuries baseball players are susceptible to.
Treatment and Prevention
Baseball players need to take care of their bodies since they are very susceptible to shoulder, arm, wrist, and hand injuries. Ways baseball players can decrease their chances of being injured include:
- Giving their body enough rest in between games and practices to prevent overuse
- Properly warm up and stretch before playing
- Use of proper playing form and equipment
- Follow pitch count limits for the pitcher’s age
Contact our Elbow Surgeon in Suffolk County
Our elbow surgeon in Suffolk County is dedicated to helping all our patients get back to their active lives with better results and less downtime. Baseball injuries are nothing new to us, as we will provide us with the best treatment and knowledge to help you get back on the field! Click here to schedule an appointment at Mirza Orthopedics today!
