16 year old pitcher -- back injury -- need advice!

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Jan 20, 2012
34
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I am with you, and that's what I thought I was doing going to an MD and then being referred to a sports P/T clinic. What I'm most interested in is whether a chiropractor needs to be brought into the mix and I appreciate the device to go back and get scans, etc.
 
Jan 18, 2010
4,284
0
In your face
Lots of people don't realize you can ask the doc on the first visit for scans. For ins purposes almost every doc goes the PT route because UNLESS the patient directly asks for scans that's ins protocol. I learned that little trick when my DD tore her cuff a few years ago, of coarse only after 3 months of PT. Live and learn.
 

halskinner

Banned
May 7, 2008
2,681
0
She goes to Mark Anderton in Auburn, WA for her pitching coach.

Here's a video of her pitching: ( back in Sept ). She has since fixed her pivoted push off, but drives out fairly upright.

#20 Madison Rogers 2015 P/1B Washington Acers West Coast Gold Pitching Skills Video - YouTube


Hi Acers,

I strongly suspect it is the standing nearly straight up through the motion that is your culprit. It is VERY rough on the lumbar spine. It also appeared her stride foot was coming down at an exaggerated angle that was between 45 and 90 degrees. That gets close to the point that it wll lock out the knee from doing its 'Shock absorber role in the stride, that can be a big contributing factor to lower back injuries.

If the knee is not able to do its role as the shock absorber AND the body stays, basically , straight up, the lower back takes all the punishment because the lower back then has to be what applies the ''brakes' to all that forward momentum energy.


I dont want to alarm you but I do need to tell you a story from about 10 years ago. I pitching instructot from Washington was the pitching coach for a university in Hawaii. The Hawaii team was in a tourney in m y area and he asked me out there to see a few of their pitchers. I arrived as they were warming up for their first game. One pitcher walked to the sidelines and started warming up. My friend started giving me the low down on her as I watchedf her pitch. I stopped him and asked if that was exactly how she pitched in thr game and he said yes. Then I asked how bad her lower back hurt after the game? He looked at me and said her back DOES hurt her quite alot and how did I know that as NOBODY but the parents, coach and him knew about that. It waqs because she was pitching and looked EXACTLY like your daughter pitching.

That was a pitcher who was near the end of her senior year. They did some scans and found a spinal stress fracture in her lumbar spine.

Print this out aand give a copy to your MD. X-rays wii
ll not show a spinal stress fracture.


Also, print out a copy of the 'Steadman - Hawkins Report to coaches' that is on the net. Give that report to thePT and MD for their future reference.

Good luck and I hope it turns out to be a simple fix.

Hal
 

halskinner

Banned
May 7, 2008
2,681
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Just so there is no misunderstandings about the role of PT's and MD's. Most Md's will rely and depend on the PT's finding anbd report for a complete diagnosis and a more defined diagnosis than the MD can do by themselves.

The PT can put a patient through very specific exercises that will isolate muscles and muscle group[s to pinpoint what the injury is exactly.

The PT plays a vital role in diagnosis of sports injuries.
 
Mar 23, 2010
2,019
38
Cafilornia
IMLE with muscle/ligament back pain, even in my 20's, Doc would tell me 6 weeks is not an unusual time frame for recovery. I have no personal knowledge of bone or disk issues, plenty of good advice above.

In general I'm not a believer in chiropractic, but being well into the stabilization work(which will provide the lasting relief), I could actually see it helping in this case, provided there are not bones/disks involved.
 
Jan 20, 2012
34
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She is a stud...have seen her pitch for several years. Fantastic pitcher and she can hit the snot out of the ball. She's headed to BYU I believe. I coach one of the gold teams for our org, it was the other that faced her probably.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
A pop sensation and pain in the lower back that does not completely resolve itself with rest is a definite Dr trip.

Not to scare you or even suggest my issue was the same, but a couple years ago I rounded 1B, stopped quickly and felt a pop/pain in my lower back. I let it go and pushed through it for a couple weeks before deciding I couldn't handle it. (The toes going numb in my left foot a week into it should have been the clue, but I'm... less than bright when it comes to worrying about pain-n-stuff.)

The Dr. sent me straight to the ER. The ER doc took x-rays and an MRI before coming in and telling me it was out of his hands. The neurosurgeon came in and told me I may have waited a week too long and asked if I wanted to go into surgery right then, or wait until he could get his team together in a day. I opted for the day.

I awoke with no pain, but it was too late to help the paralysis in my left shin and foot. I also don't have to wear diapers! I have an acquintance who went through almost the same deal and he didn't fair as well as I did.

See a doctor. Rule out the bad stuff and get on the road to recovery. You won't regret it.


Best wishes for a fast and speedy recovery,
Ken
 
Last edited:
Jul 26, 2010
3,567
0
See a sports medicine MD, not a general practice doctor. Check your local university and see who they send their players to if you don't have a referral already.

Chiropractic services and acupuncture are a way to mitigate pain, not really fix issues. It's better then taking meds, and you shouldn't rule it out, but absolutely see a sports medicine doctor first.

-W
 

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