Learning to Pitch LH Due to Injury

[wafastpitch]

Her coach has been great! My girl has done what she can for sure! She hasn't been able to hit, but there are some drills she can do so she does those. She tried slapping Saturday and said that wasn't bad so she'll likely work on perfecting the slap for now too. She likes slapping, just hasn't been used as a slapper that much.

She played through fall ball, even played up with our 18u gold team for a tourney in October, but that was about the end of her ability to throw. At the end of fall ball her wrist was hurting when she played but we didn't know about the tingling. The tingling and spams got worse to where she can't throw now. She's played through pain, this is different Hopefully by spring ball she'll be able to play.

 

[dmaeganx2]

is her Pains restricted to her hand or does it radiate up through her forearm and possibly through her upper arm ?? and you said it was all the digits not just "Pinky and ring" or "thumb through the middle" ??

 

[Sweet Lou]

Billy Wagner is quite possible the best left hand relief pitcher in the history of MLB.

Wagner was a natural-born right-handed person, but after breaking his right arm twice in accidents as a young boy, he taught himself to throw baseballs using his left arm by throwing thousands of balls against the wall of a barn, and then fielding the rebounds, and repeating.

I'm not sure how old he was but it can absolutely be done if your DD has the desire and tenacity.

 

[wafastpitch]

is her Pains restricted to her hand or does it radiate up through her forearm and possibly through her upper arm ?? and you said it was all the digits not just "Pinky and ring" or "thumb through the middle" ??

The pain radiates to her wrist at least, and I think her forearm; tingling is definitely all digits. She can't wear a backpack on that shoulder at all because it exacerbates the symptoms.

She also has to work hard (harder than she likes to) when the temps hit mid 30s to keep herself warm. Otherwise her right hand changes colors and her fingers swell a lot. Doctors have passed that off as Raynauds, but after checking out thoracic outlet compression I'm thinking it may all be tied together. The cold issue has been going on for 2 years.

The doctors seem to think she has carpal tunnel, but that makes no sense at 14 and wouldn't involve her ring finger and pinky.

 

[dmaeganx2]

it seems to be both radial and ulnar nerves, with also some blood vessel impingements or flow issues. I only know of three parts of the arm that can cause or compress all blood flow and these 2 nerves simultaneously. That coupled with the weight on the shoulders exacerbating the issues My thoughts would also be thoracic outlet compression or brachial plexus injury of some sort. I am no doctor so it could be a hill of beans but I have coached for many many years with baseball pitchers so I learned to pay attention to symptoms and did a lot of homework

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I know you didn't come here for medical advice, but I would get her to the best ortho doc in the US. The heck with softball.

 

[Comp]

As my wife recently discovered, the arm pain may not be related to the arm at all but an impinged nerve in the neck. From what I understand it is not common in children and young adults, but there are cases of it. My wife developed excruciating pain in her left arm, elbow and running down into her thumb and index finger. It turned out to be spinal stenosis in the C5-C6 vertebrae. She is having surgery tomorrow to relieve the pressure on the nerve and spinal chord.

I would certainly suggest getting her to some specialists for an MRI to determine what is going on.

 

[guero_gordo]

As my wife recently discovered, the arm pain may not be related to the arm at all but an impinged nerve in the neck. From what I understand it is not common in children and young adults, but there are cases of it. My wife developed excruciating pain in her left arm, elbow and running down into her thumb and index finger. It turned out to be spinal stenosis in the C5-C6 vertebrae. She is having surgery tomorrow to relieve the pressure on the nerve and spinal chord.

I would certainly suggest getting her to some specialists for an MRI to determine what is going on.

Hope that all works out for you Comp. I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anybody.

 

[wafastpitch]

As my wife recently discovered, the arm pain may not be related to the arm at all but an impinged nerve in the neck. From what I understand it is not common in children and young adults, but there are cases of it. My wife developed excruciating pain in her left arm, elbow and running down into her thumb and index finger. It turned out to be spinal stenosis in the C5-C6 vertebrae. She is having surgery tomorrow to relieve the pressure on the nerve and spinal chord.

I would certainly suggest getting her to some specialists for an MRI to determine what is going on.

Best wishes to your wife. I hope the surgery goes well.

 

[wafastpitch]

Any recommendations? Close to WA and willing to see someone under 18 would be preferred. Many docs around looked at her age and refused to even see her I'm kind of waiting for her EMG at the end of the month figuring that we can't determine much else before that test is done. From there I'll definitely be looking for a good ortho. She saw a hand specialist who ordered the EMG, but I'm not sure he's going to be our best bet. I so appreciate the medical info! You guys have had ideas that her docs hadn't mentioned at all.