Baseball / Softball Injuries
Baseball injuries are generally defined as either cumulative (overuse) or acute (traumatic) injuries.
Overuse injuries occur over time due to stress on the muscles, joints and soft tissues without proper time for healing. They begin as a small, nagging ache or pain, and can grow into a debilitating injury if they aren't treated early.
Acute or traumatic injuries occur due to a sudden force, or impact, and can be quite dramatic.
The most common baseball injuries include:
Shoulder
· Shoulder Tendinitis, Bursitis, and Impingement Syndrome
· Torn Rotator Cuff
· Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
· Shoulder Separation
· Rotator Cuff Tendonitis
· Shoulder Instability
· Glenohumeral Arthritis
Elbow
· Little League Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis) Also called golfer’s elbow
· Bursitis of the Elbow
· Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Wrist and Hand:
· Wrist Sprains
· Finger Fractures
· Wrist tendinitis
· Tenosynovitis
Back
· Muscle Strains of the Back
· Low Back Pain
· Herniated Disks
· Backaches and Stress
Knee Ligament Injuries
· Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries
· Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injuries
Ligament injuries to the knee are very common in sports that require stopping and starting or quickly changing directions. These extreme forces on the knee can result in torn ligaments. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the medial collateral ligament (MCL) are the most often injured, but the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL)can also be injured.
Cruciate ligament injuries don't always cause pain, but typically cause a loud "pop." Most of these injuries are confirmed with an MRI. Arthroscopic surgery is sometimes the best way to find a partial tear.
Torn Knee Cartilage Meniscus Injuries)
Torn knee cartilage is usually a torn meniscus(image]. These small, "c" shaped pieces of cartilage act as cushions between the thigh bone (femur) and the tibia (shin bone). There is one on the outside (lateral meniscus) and one on the inside of the knee (medial meniscus). Meniscus tears are often the result of twisting, pivoting, decelerating, or a sudden impact. It cam be identified by various manual tests a physician can perform to detect torn cartilage.
Chondromalacia
This term refers to softening and deterioration of the underside of the kneecap that result in a dull pain around or under the kneecap that worsens when walking down stairs or hills, climbing stair other weight bearing activity.
Knee Tendonitis and Ruptured Tendons
Tendonitis is an inflammation or irritation of a tendon often caused by overuse. Tendonitis is often identified due to tenderness at the point where the patellar tendon meets the bone, just below the kneecap. Impacts and sudden movements (such as trying to break a fall) can force the quadriceps muscles to contract forcefully and cause the quadriceps tendon to be strained or possible tear (rupture).
Miscellaneous Pain and Injuries
Blisters
Blisters are fluid-filled sacks on the surface of the skin that commonly occurs on the hands, or the feet.
Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness
Also called "DOMS," this muscle pain, stiffness or soreness occurs 24-48 hours after particularly intense exercise or a new program.
Other Knee Pain
In order to treat the cause of the pain, it is important to have an evaluation and proper diagnosis.
Sprains and Strains
These are acute injuries that vary in severity but usually result in pain, swelling, bruising, and loss of the ability to move and use the joint.
Stress Fractures
Stress fractures in the leg are often the result of overuse or repeated impacts on a hard surface
Many sports injuries result from overuse, lack of proper rest, lack or proper warm ups or poor conditioning. The following safety precautions are recommended to help prevent help volleyball injuries:
- Warm up thoroughly prior to play.
- Use good technique and play by the rules.
- Check the field before play and clean off debris.
- Have a first aide kit on hand.
- Get adequate recovery.
- Stay hydrated.
Preventing Baseball / Softball Injuries
Sometimes preventing common sports injuries is beyond our control, but many times sports injuries are preventable. Some injuries, we bring on ourselves because we’re not conditioned for the activity. Work out daily and get double benefit — enjoy your weekend activities and garner the health benefits.
Every workout should start with a gentle warm-up to prevent common sports injuries. Getting warmed up increases blood flow to the muscles, gets you more flexible, and could decrease injuries.
Overuse injuries are common and preventable, Don’t come out and hit the ball for an hour after not playing for a while., Whether it’s hiking, running, or team sports, do some “pre-participation stretching” first by lightly working the relevant muscle groups before the activity. And learn to recognize when you’ve already left it all on the field. Stop when you are fatigued, Muscle fatigue takes away all your protective mechanisms and really increases your risk of all injuries.