Overhand throwing causing some pain

[jacketsfan]

Don't mess with this. My DD had exactly the same thing. I thought it was overuse from throwing screwballs. It "didn't hurt much", and she played through. Kept pitching, kept aching. It hurt for probably 6 months, sort of a nag, but not bad enought to stop pitching. After all, her team needed her to pitch, so we couldn't let them down.

Finally one day, she makes a throw from the outfield, screams, and falls to the ground, holding her shoulder.

As said above, Labrum and Rotator interval tear. Also had capsular plication surgery while they were stitching her muscle tears.

If had it to do over, I would've yanked her the minute she told me, taken her to an sports ortho *(hopefullly a shoulder specialist), and done everything they said to try to avoid surgery.

Watching your 14 yr old have surgery, and knowing that you "let her play through it because it wasn't too bad" will keep you up nights - trust me. Watching her write in pain the first few nights after the surgery, watch her wear a sling for a month, not to be able to dress herself or brush her hair for 3 months, and take 6 months to be able to play again, knowing you let her "play through it" is not worth it.

Get her to the Doctor, and do it now.

 

[atagame]

Thanks guys for the replies. The pain (at least as she explained it to me) isn't bad. I asked her, "Are you sure it doesn't hurt you real bad" and she said no. I would have never even known (no painful winces or faces made and no changing of mechanics) until she spoke up. When I asked her where does it hurt she points to the top of her shoulder. I asked her "how can it hurt when your playing catch/throwing over-hand but not when your pitching?" and she replied, "I don't know but it doesn't hurt when I pitch." My husband played baseball and has shown her the correct way to throw (however, Peppers it would be so great to have such a resource as the one you have. Who knows maybe it is some small thing/mechanic that my husband just doesn't see/know). Husband usually has to remind DD often to throw the ball correctly over-hand (something about her elbow being to low when she throws the ball over-hand) when they are playing catch for fun and when they are playing catch to warm-up DD for pitching. I have posted several videos of DD pitching although they are a few months old now. I will try to video tape and post her throwing both overhand and pitching again. The pain is not always there but springs up when she is warming-up when playing catch. She says it does not hurt when she throws long (out field to home, they do this at the end of warming up but before pitching warm-ups) but when they get closer to each-other to throw (closer distance to each other but now throwing the ball quick and hard/fast to one another) this is when she says her shoulder will have a pain in it. When they get done with that and start warming-up for pitching (snaps, stork drill, walk-throughs, long pitch) and finally regular pitching the whole time she says her shoulder does not bother her???? Thanks again for the replies.

Our dd's injury began with shoulder pain from overhand throwing only, then as the pain got worse, pitching agitated it, too. It was a labrum injury...the bicep tendon is connected at the top to the labrum (I'm not an MD but there are a few tendons inter-related as part of the rotator cuff area). As I understand it the most force in pitching is in the bicep, therefore as the PT explained the stress on the bicep tendon can inflame the labrum further. In dd's case we were VERY LUCkY she did not tear the labrum, which could have meant surgery and months of rehab. Our dd does not speak up when things are uncomfortable, so by the point she began telling us there was alot of pain, she too was able to pitch for a while without pain....then she had 8 weeks of batting only and phys. therapy 3 x a week!
We saw a doctor in KC that works with the Royals baseball organization. It is extremely important that all overhand throwers do PROPER stretches before and after practices and games. DD now does the same stretches that many MLB players do. The doctor also warned us about playing injured. His nephew was a young teenage pitcher throwing 80, had a little pain, but it was an IMPORTANT game so the dad let him pitch - tore his labrum and now plays 1st base. MORAL: All pain needs to be addressed, most pitchers will downplay pain because they want to be on the mound, and is ANY game worth injury, chronic pain, or giving up pitching? Again my advice, take a trip to a sports medicine doctor. The players health should ALWAYS come first!

 

[Chris O'Leary]

My husband played baseball and has shown her the correct way to throw

I'd be interested to know what this is.

The issue is that in many cases what people teach as the right way to throw is actually dangerous.

Most good athletes throw well naturally.

 

[Lozza]

Thanks guys for the replies. The pain (at least as she explained it to me) isn't bad. I asked her, "Are you sure it doesn't hurt you real bad" and she said no. I would have never even known (no painful winces or faces made and no changing of mechanics) until she spoke up.

Seriously, I can't emphasis this enough, PLEASE get her to a doctor. Today. ANY pain is bad. Just because it doesn't hurt much now, doesn't mean it won't get worse. And by ignoring the problem, hoping it goes away, will make it get worse. It's much better to fix it now (even if it's before a big tournament) than to have her be off for six months or more for surgery.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Everyone's pain level is different. I raised 2 kids that were as different as night and day in that aspect. One just old me recently, that his shoulder hurt all through HS. He is 25.

As far as a natural athlete, I can't remember the last time I saw one, in softball. Even at the U of A, I have heard Candrea say that he has to teach them to throw. I am a stickler for overhand throw and I guarantee that most are not very good. Even last year when I played competitive slow pitch, I had a SS tell me, "I am going to bounce the ball to you." I thought she was kidding. Unfortunately, she wasn't.

I read this site a lot for OH. Jaeger Sports. Many girls don't have the proper grip, don't turn, don't get the elbow up, and then don't step through with the bare hand side.