26% of Youth Athletes (6-11 y/o) will Experience Elbow Injuries and Pain through their Youth Seasons

Hey Parent,

The offseason for Summer/Fall Baseball and Softball is coming up fast. Is your Child experiencing Arm pain during or after games or practices?

Research shows that unknowingly the age of Sports-related injuries and Overuse injuries is becoming younger and younger. The National Athletic Trainers Association found that 50% of youth athlete sports injuries stem from overuse injuries.

At a young age, a general foundation of fitness must be achieved before sports specialization and before receiving position-specific training. Without a general foundation of fitness and bodyweight movement proficiency overuse injuries are more common.

3 major arm injuries that can occur are:

-UCL Sprain or Tear

-"Little Leaguer's Elbow"

-Panners Disease and Osteochondritis Dissecans

It is recommended that children that are looking to take their game to the next level should be enrolled in a youth performance program that will help bridge the vital developmental areas that are missed between PE, Sports, and a lack of play. Strengthening and allowing your child to become a well-rounded person and athlete is what will lead them to the most success.

Over time, our throwing athletes may experience pain or discomfort.

PFP recently had an athlete that was naturally undersized, but could hit a peak pitching speed of 90 mph. This athlete starting to have pain in his elbow recently and was only hitting 78-80 mph on his signature pitch. After a few visits with doctors that specifically work on professional athletes, it came to the conclusion that his UCL was frayed because of an over compensation through his arm while pitching because of a weakness in his hips.

Major arm injuries are not inevitable for every athlete. There are specific actions and steps to take to make sure that your child (Early in their stages of development) can perform at higher levels, safely.

For more information on the Rock Solid Kids Academy at PFP, visit www.rskatpfp.com and get your first session Free (6-9 y/o) or a Free Consultation (9-11 y/o).

References

TISANO, BREANN K.; ESTES, A. REED Overuse Injuries of the Pediatric and Adolescent Throwing Athlete, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: October 2016 - Volume 48 - Issue 10 - p 1898-1905
doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000998

Remaley DT, Fincham B, McCullough B, Davis K, Nofsinger C, Armstrong C, Stausmire JM. Surface Electromyography of the Forearm Musculature During the Windmill Softball Pitch. Orthop J Sports Med. 2015 Jan 22;3(1):2325967114566796. doi: 10.1177/2325967114566796. PMID: 26535372; PMCID: PMC4555585.

Lench, Brooke de. “Preventing Overuse Injuries in Youth Athletes.” MomsTeam, www.momsteam.com/overuse/preventing-overuse-injuries-in-youth-athletes.