Shoulder Injury Prevention
Rotator Cuff Tendonitis:
- Maintain a strong rotator cuff
- For throwers, cuff exercises should be performed about 2 to 3 times a week
- Maintain a flexible rotator cuff, shoulder, and chest area
- Maintain good posture and perform postural exercises
- Maintain a 2 to 1 back to chest ratio when working out
- Little League pitchers should follow recommended pitch counts
- Pitcher should take an “off season” to allow the shoulder to rest, and recover
- Have throwing mechanics evaluated by a qualified instructor
- Ice shoulder after heavy, repetitive activities like pitching
- Make sure equipment is properly fitted for the athlete (e.g. tennis racquet grip size)
Biceps Tendonitis:
- Maintain good posture and perform postural exercises
- Maintain a 2 to 1 back to chest ratio when working out
- For throwing athletes it is not recommended to bench with a straight bar
- Ice shoulder after heavy activity
Shoulder Contusion:
- Use proper tackling techniques
- Use proper equipment like shoulder pads
Little League Shoulder:
- Follow recommended guidelines for appropriate pitch count (depends on age)
- Allow for adequate rest time between pitching events
- Ice the shoulder after training or games
- Playing through pain and ignoring initial signs of injury could lead to further damage
Shoulder Instability:
- Maintain good posture and perform postural exercises
- Maintain a 2 to 1 back to chest ratio when working out
- For throwing athletes it is not recommended to bench with a straight bar
- Ice shoulder after heavy activity
