OrthoGO Physical Therapy's Newsletter

Orthogo Physical and Aquatic Therapy Newsletter

1. Preparation for America's Pastime - Youth Baseball
2. Download of the Month - Medicine Ball Throwing Program

Preparation for America's Pastime - Youth Baseball

This month we are talking about community. In almost all communities, there are child and teen baseball leagues. Unfortunately, with participation in sports there are injuries.

Medical literature is a good source of guidance when developing recommendations and guidelines for child and teen pitchers. In one research report of 467 child and adolescent baseball pitchers, they examined the types of pitches these kids threw. Curveballs, sliders, and change ups were studied in this population and they came up with some interesting recommendations:

1. Breaking pitches such as the curveball and slider, place more stress on the pitcher's shoulder and therefore, caused more pain in the elbow and shoulder. The curveball was associated with a 52% increased risk of shoulder pain, and the slider was associated with an 86% increased risk of elbow pain.

2. A change up is a safe pitch because it does not require rapid twisting of the hand and forearm which torques the elbow and shoulder.

3. Because shoulder and elbow injuries are the result of overuse (throwing too many pitches), the number of pitches is important. The authors recommend limiting the number of pitches to 75 in a game and 600 in a season.

These are some good guidelines. If you need more information regarding throwing programs, child, or teen fitness, please gives us a call.

Now that we have some recommendations, we need some good programs to help condition the throwing athlete. We are going to suggest a couple ways that you can better prepare you child for the baseball season.

First, it is important to get the arm in shape for baseball season. Like most other sports, a progressive return to a sporting activity is recommended. A marathon runner wouldn't go out and run 26.2 miles on day one of training; rather, he or she would work their way up to the competitive distance. So too, a baseball player should work his or her way up to a reasonable number of tosses.

Here are some recommendations for a program over the course of two weeks:
1. Throw every other day start with 60 tosses, 25 at 50% and 25 at 75%. Do this at approximately 50 feet of distance apart from each other.
2. After 3 sessions, increase the distance to 80-100 feet and repeat the same 60 tosses, 25 at 50% and 25 at 75%.
3. Finally for the last two to three sessions, increase the intensity, toss count, and distance. For example, at 60 feet 20 tosses at 50%, 40 at 75%, and 20 at 100% intensity. Move back and repeat the same number and intensity.

While there are no strict guidelines, a progressive throwing program varying distance, intensity, and toss count can help prepare your child for the season.

The other way to prepare your child for the season is with an endurance training program.

Download of the Month - Medicine Ball Throwing Program

Click here to get this program

Make sure you consult your physician first before starting this or any other exercise program.

Be careful with the type and number of pitches your child throws and make sure they are conditioned to meet the performance demands placed on the body during the baseball season.

New HIPAA guidelines prohibit us from exchanging Private Health Information with e-mail. E-mail is not secure.

Please do not respond to this e-mail with any questions concerning your medical condition, billing, or any other information that you may not want someone other than us to read. Just give us a call 815-344-9727.

Orthogo Physical and Aquatic Therapy Newsletter

1. If You Want to Come Back
2. Physical Therapy for Wrist and Hand Problems
3. Download of the Month

If You Want to Come Back

If you are having problems with a previously diagnosed condition, there is a good chance that we can see you again, and your insurance will cover it. Just give us a call. You may need a refresher of your exercise program, a little soft tissue work to get you back on track, or a couple of visits to remind you of how to manage your pain.

Give us a call. We want to help.

Physical Therapy for Wrist and Hand Problems

Hand and wrist problems are very common. If you have kids that snowboard or skate, you know what I mean. Falls cause sprains, strains and in some unfortunate cases, broken bones. For some adults, carpal tunnel syndrome (also known as CTS) is another wrist condition that you have probably heard of as well. It affects about 3 in every 1000 people. The tendons that run through the "tunnel" of the wrist become inflamed and the resulting swelling causes pressure on the Median nerve. Tingling in the thumb and index and middle finger are common and if it progresses, hand muscle weakness can be the result. Usually, a combination of factors such as an injury, repetitive motion, prolonged and repetitive use of machine tools, pregnancy, hormone imbalance, rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions can lead to the development of CTS.

There are a variety of other hand and wrist problems that you hopefully will never experience. However, if you do develop a hand or wrist problem, require rehabilitation after a broken bone or experience carpal tunnel syndrome, please do not hesitate to give us a call.

Download of the Month

If you were ever interested in maintaining your neck motion and flexibility, here is a program for you.

Click here to Download this program

As with any exercise program, make sure to consult your physical therapist or physician first.

New HIPAA guidelines prohibit us from exchanging Private Health Information with e-mail. E-mail is not secure.

Please do not respond to this e-mail with any questions concerning your medical condition, billing, or any other information that you may not want someone other than us to read. Just give us a call 815-344-9727.