Early Warning Signs of Baseball Injuries
By Sara Butler
Baseball spring training is nearly here. If your child is gearing up to start baseball this year, there are a few things you need to be on the lookout for. Of course, physical activity is great for children’s health, but they are just as susceptible to injury as adults are. So, be on the search for signs early on that an injury might be brewing!
Warning Sign No. 1: Looseness or Pain on the Inside of the Elbow
The elbow can easily be injured in baseball, specifically the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Your UCL connects one of the bones in your forearm to the bone in your upper arm. This is a repetitive stress injury, caused by performing the same motion over and over again. When the tendon starts to tear due to repetitive stress, the tendon lengthens. This is why it may be described as feeling loose.
Common symptoms include:
- Pain on the inside of the elbow
- Looseness in the elbow
- Irritated funny bone
If any of these are experienced by your child, make sure to have them seen by your chiropractor as soon as possible.
Warning Sign No. 2: Pain in the Shoulder
Pain in the shoulder may be indicative of a rotator cuff injury. The pain in the shoulder may be accompanied by problems rotating the shoulder all the way because the full range of motion is restricted.
This is another repetitive stress injury, and also quite common in baseball. If you child experiences the following, make sure to have them seen by the chiropractor:
- Pain in the front or side of the shoulder or arm
- Swelling in the front or side of the shoulder or arm
- Pain reaching behind back
- Pain when raising the arm
- Clicking sound when raising the arm
Warning Sign No. 3: Pain in the Knee
Running is a part of the sport of baseball, and if your child complains of knee pain you shouldn’t dismiss it. Pain in the knee can indicate a problem with the knee joint or the tendons and ligaments that support it. It can cause pain from above the knee down through the lower leg.
If your child is in sports such as baseball, it’s a good idea to have them see a chiropractor regularly so that problems can be addressed before they grow into much larger issues for your child and they get stuck on the disabled list for the season!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.
