Baseball Hitting and Pitching

Shoulder Health 101

By Scott Tribby, RTI

In baseball, one of the most commonly injured areas is the shoulder capsule. Whether you’re a pitcher, hitter, or regularly fielding balls in the outfield you must maintain a healthy shoulder in order to be able to perform. Baseball is somewhat unique because of the fact that there are a lot of unilateral actions involved, utilizing only one part of body or limb. This can lead to both unusual wear and tear on the principally used joint and imbalances in the other. In order to combat this, a program involving both strengthening and maintenance movements is best.

But before I get into what steps you need to take in order to build a healthy shoulder joint, I’d like to give a brief explanation of the shoulder so you can have a better understanding of how it works. The shoulder joint is actually a “weak” joint, held together mostly by muscles known as the “rotator cuff”. This gives it a much greater range of motion compared to others (ex, the elbow), but also leaves it susceptible to greater stress and injury. A healthy and strong shoulder involves greater dynamic range of motion, while at the same time being careful not to create hyper-flexibility through improper static stretching techniques. This involves utilizing proper warm up techniques such as: forward/backward arm circles, external/internal rotations, and arm pumps (utilized especially by track sprinters). These techniques should be used first before beginning any type of resistance exercise or sports-specific activity.

Because the rotator cuff muscles are smaller, weaker muscles than others in the body (for instance, the hamstrings and quads) they tend to fatigue at a faster rate when engaged in strenuous activity. High velocity, explosive-type movements are very demanding on both the nervous system and the muscles involved. This is the central reason for keeping pitch counts at a certain level, preventing nervous and muscular fatigue which can lead to injury. When performing sport-specific drills, care should be taken not to continue them until the player is noticeably tired. The goal of these drills is to improve efficiency of movement, not conditioning. Once the muscles become fatigued, along with the nervous system’s ability to control them properly, then joint function is compromised. With each successive execution of the movement the risk of injury increases exponentially. How many times have you seen a coach work his players so hard they can barely move? I’m sure quite often. This is the wrong approach.

Following a training session or practice, proper static stretching should be used. Here are some simple static stretches you can do to help keep the shoulder healthy:

1. Pectoral/deltoid stretch - clasp hands behind your lower back and slowly raise your arms as high as possible. Hold for at least 30 seconds

2. Pectoral wall stretch - facing wall, place arm in “L” position onto wall and turn away, stretching the chest and shoulder area. Make sure to leave at least the elbow and forearm area in contact with the wall at all times to reduce stress on the elbow joint

3. Rear deltoid stretch - bring arm across chest, using the opposite arm to hold firmly to chest while turning “away” from that arm (you should feel the stretch in the back and side of the shoulder)

Another integral part of keeping the shoulder healthy is a proper resistance program. Utilizing a program, such as the one found on FIX Rotator Cuff DVD, will keep the rotator cuff strong and able to stand up to the punishment dished out by a grueling baseball season. When engaged in resistance training, there are a few exercises that should either be avoided or used with caution. Many shoulder injuries are largely a result of improper lifting techniques that compromise the shoulder and leave it open to injury during play. Heavy military presses, especially behind the head, should be avoided as they put an undo amount of stress on the joint. Also, care should be utilized when doing any type of bicep curls. The bicep is partially responsible for shoulder flexion, and an injury to the tendon that inserts into the shoulder is common during exceptionally heavy arm curls.

As always, recovery techniques will be essential in maintaining health. Ice treatments should be used after training in order to keep inflammation to a minimum. Massage on a regular basis will keep scar tissue from building up and promote healthy circulation. This will help promote health connective tissue repair and joint fluid production.

Scott Tribby is a Strength & Conditioning Coach and Massage
Therapist located in Connecticut. Specializing in
overall development and conditioning, he puts special
emphasis on both postural alignment and preventative
measures against injury. Having participated in a
myriad of different sports (soccer, snowboarding,
cycling, grappling, skateboarding), he understands the
needs of both the elite athlete and those that just
lead an active lifestyle.