Injuries Are Rarely Accidents

Very recently we worked with three different pitchers in one evening who came to us for the same reason. All of them had injuries in the lower back. One of them came all of the way from the west coast, having been diagnosed with two Pars stress fractures. She wanted to determine if we could find the problem and help her get back on the mound without pain. It was very easy to identify the problems in her form which caused the injury, make adjustments, and watch her get excited about pitching again. We had a fabulous evening.
The west coast pitcher said the injury happened suddenly when she threw a drop. Actually, this is not likely the case. Pitchers often think some pain is normal. They confuse soreness with injury. So, they ignore the warning signs until it is too late. In this case, she was taught some things in the past that caused repeated stress in the vertebrae. Simple corrections in form not only resolved the issue, but in one session her speed increased 9 miles per hour. The speed was there all along, but barriers to correct movement patterns prevented her from reaching her potential.
Each time we remove the cause of the injury we see great results in performance. All three of the kids we mentioned came out of their sessions excited about their futures. Normally new kids simply come to see us for a different reason. They have hit a plateau. Once we remove barriers and teach her how to properly utilize the specific strengths of the female body, things change for better very quickly. Because we understand those fundamentals, it is easy to identify and address the causes of injuries. Most of the time both problems are the result of putting repeated stress on the wrong part of the body, at the wrong time, or in an ineffective way.
Let me give you a simple illustration. Bend one of your fingers back until it hurts slightly. When it returns to normal position you will feel no pain. But, if you do that a hundred times, the pain lingers. Do it a hundred times every day for an entire month and you could create a lasting injury. If a pitcher puts stress on the body in a way that it was not designed to handle, and repeats it a hundred times a day, this is the same sequence of events as bending the finger.
An arm circle that causes stress on the shoulder or creates impact when the arm hits the side, a jerking upward of the elbow, bending at the waist as she lands in a twisted position, or having the front foot turned too much at landing…all of these may not be a factor the first time, but the repeated torque of these actions begin to slowly erode parts of the body taking the brunt of the force.
There is another major contributor to injuries, proper strength training. Let’s use the example of a pitcher who has terrible hip flexibility and mobility. This can cause the ankle or knee joints to absorb a load that was supposed to be handled by muscle and tendon. The pitcher slows tremendously as the brain goes into “protect mode”, or she pushes too hard and something has to give. Either way, she is not living up to her potential.
Nutrition, rest, and the fluctuation of hormones can also dramatically affect injury. Each is serious, but correct mechanics dramatically decrease the risk.
Pitching is a very violent motion that involves almost every part of the body. If everything is in sync and the loads are properly distributed, the chance of injury is greatly diminished. In addition, she gets more out of the pitch than she puts into it. If she is working hard and getting little result, it may be a sign that something is not exactly working the way it should. It is time to consider changing something.
In summary, ask questions, challenge conventional wisdom, and just because one person does something in a certain way does not mean it is the best or most healthy way for your daughter. If you have questions, email us. If you are a former college pitcher who would like to learn more about joining with us and helping change pitching across the country, talk with me.