Summer is almost here, and if your son or daughter is into baseball, odds are you’re gearing up to spend a lot of time at the ball diamond. Baseball can help to build great friendships and lifelong skills, but every year young athletes see their season cut short because of a shoulder injury. In little league, the common culprit is known as proximal humeral epiphysitis, or little league shoulder. In today’s blog, we explore why little league shoulder tends to develop in young athletes, and how you can work to prevent and treat the condition.
Understanding Little League Shoulder
Little league shoulder is an overuse injury that affects the upper part of the throwing arm, just below a child’s shoulder. This is also where the growth plate for the humerus is located, and repetitive strain on this area without ample rest at a time when the arm is experiencing a period of rapid growth can lead to a host of uncomfortable symptoms.
At its core, little league shoulder develops because the arm and shoulder region experiences too much stress without ample time to recover. If your child specializes in a single sport like baseball or volleyball, or they don’t get ample time to rest their arm between seasons or during the season, the area around the humeral growth plate can become stressed and damaged. Repetitive strain combined with inadequate rest are the driving forces behind little league shoulder, but genetics and athletic mechanics can also play a role. With that said, know that even a child with perfect pitching mechanics is at risk of little league shoulder if their arm is overworked and under rested.
Symptoms of little league shoulder include:
- Pain in the shoulder that worsens with use
- Swelling in the upper arm
- Tenderness
- Loss of accuracy or throwing speed
If your child is dealing with any of these issues and you suspect that they may be suffering from the effects of little league shoulder, consult with a medical professional. An athletic trainer or your pediatrician are good places to start, but for fast and effective care, consider bringing them to a physical therapist’s office.
Preventing And Treating Little League Shoulder
If you believe your child may be dealing with little league shoulder, a physical therapist can quickly test for the presence of the condition. While an x-ray will show a widening or abnormal growth plate, oftentimes a PT can put your child through a series of simple movement exercises, and coupled with a conversation about their symptoms and athletic endeavors, they can diagnose little league shoulder without official imaging.
The reason why it can be so beneficial to connect with a shoulder specialist is because they’ll be able to do more than just tell your child to rest. Now, don’t get us wrong, rest and protecting the arm and shoulder will play a big role in helping your child overcome the condition. However, rest alone isn’t the best course of care. Some ways that a PT can go above and beyond for your child include:
- Using physical exams and movement screens to look for muscular imbalances that may be putting additional strain on the humeral growth plate.
- Helping your child improve their mechanics and throwing form to take strain off the humerus.
- Developing an in-season or offseason training program to strengthen a child’s arm and shoulder.
- Improving other health aspects that can aid in optimal pitching performance, like flexibility and core strength.
We can help your child overcome a little league shoulder issue, but you need to be their first line of defense. If they are complaining of discomfort or pitching a lot without enough rest (which can be common if playing in multiple leagues or on a local team and a travel team), have a conversation with their coach about their arm health. Don’t let a season end before it really begins because of a mismanaged shoulder. For more information, or for help with a different aspect of athletic injury management, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.