How To Prevent Little League Elbow

As a parent, coach, or player, it can be concerning when your child complains of elbow pain during Little League season. This pain can be the result of a condition called Little League elbow, which is a common overuse injury in young baseball players. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent this injury and help young athletes stay on the field. In this post, we'll discuss Little League elbow and how we can help prevent it with conservative care.
What is Little League Elbow?
Little League elbow is a condition that occurs when the repetitive throwing motion in baseball puts too much stress on the growth plates in the elbow. Growth plates are areas of developing cartilage and bone tissue in children and adolescents, and they are more vulnerable to injury than mature bone. When the growth plates in the elbow are overused, they can become inflamed, leading to pain and discomfort.
Little League elbow is most common in pitchers, but it can also affect other positions that require throwing, such as catchers and infielders. Symptoms of Little League elbow can include pain on the inside of the elbow, swelling, stiffness, and decreased range of motion.
Preventing Little League Elbow with Conservative Care
At HD Performance Chiropractic, we offer conservative care to help prevent Little League elbow in young athletes. Our approach focuses on proper training, conditioning, and rehabilitation to support healthy growth and development of the elbow and arm. Here are some of the ways we can help prevent Little League elbow:
1.
Proper Throwing Mechanics - Our staff can assess your child's throwing mechanics and make corrections to prevent excessive stress on the elbow. We can also teach your child proper warm- up and cool-down techniques to reduce the risk of injury.
2.
Strengthening and Conditioning - We can develop a customized exercise program to strengthen the muscles and ligaments that support the elbow and arm. This can help reduce the strain on the growth plates during throwing and increase overall performance.
3. Rest and Recovery - It's important to allow time for rest and recovery between games and practices to allow the growth plates to heal. Our staff can help you develop a plan for balancing training and rest to prevent overuse injuries.
4.
Manual Therapy- It is extremely important to work through excessive tightness in the forearm musculature to help prevent elbow injuries. Having these tools is key to staying pain free all season.
At HD Performance Chiropractic, we offer conservative care to help prevent Little League elbow and keep young athletes healthy. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and learn more about our approach to preventing sports injuries.


