Elbow pain can be a serious problem in Little League, because occasional pain may lead to serious injury requiring surgery as players grow older. It is so important to know the difference between minor soreness, or tiredness and pain, its your body you have to make the call.
The elbow is the connecting point of the 2 bones in your lower arm (raduis and ulna) and the bone in your upper arm (humerus). Right at the joint there is a piece of bone called the growth plate that is resting on a bed of cartilage. This is the most common area of soreness in a pitcher's arm, located on the inside of your elbow. The number 1 cause of soreness is overuse, which is why Coquitlam Little League limits the number of pitches you can throw in an inning, game, and in a week. As a pitcher it is important for you to wear a jacket or sweater in between innings to keep your arm warm, and to run for at least 15min after you have finished pitching for the day. Switching between ice and heat, 10min on 10min off, after the game is also a good idea. The ice helps reduce minor swelling in the elbow and shoulder joints, and heat helps soothe and relax your muscles.
The number 2 cause is poor mechanics and throwing curve balls. Throwing overhand is not a natural motion for the human body and it produces a tremendous amount of strain on the pitcher's joints. According to experts, the elbow should be as shoulder height and the hand should come overtop of the ball. Throwing side arm produces a whipping action and causes extreme stress on the inside of the elbow. The further your arm drops down from an 'over-the-top' throw, the more stress is placed on the ligament between the humerus and ulna, resulting in it becoming stretched, or worse torn. Tommy-John surgery replaces this ligament with a tendon from elsewhere in the body. The compression created on the outside of your elbow can also become extreme when throwing side-arm repeatedly and can cause long-term damage to the cartilage between the growth plate and humerus.
It is a known fact that throwing a curve ball puts unnecessary stress on muscles and tendons. The snapping motion of the wrist needed to throw a curve pulls aggressively on the muscles on the inside of your elbow which is compounded by the fact that as a Little Leaguer you are still growing. Tendons and ligaments become stunted and tight on your lengthening bones putting you at an increased risk of injury. Make sure you learn to hold and throw a curve ball properly before you attempt it, and do not throw it repeatedly. You only need to throw it a couple of times per game to remind batters that you do have it in your pitching arsenal and will make them wonder if and when you will throw it.
Know your body and let your coaches and parents know when you feel pain and what type of pain it is. Generally there are 3 stages of elbow soreness:
Stage I: Mild discomfort and stiffness in your elbow. May become worse with pitching, but goes away with rest. Usually you are still able to play other positions in the field.Stage II: Tenderness and mild swelling in the elbow. Pain is immediate and constant when throwing, but does go away with prolonged rest (2-4 days). May not be comfortable playing any other positions on the field, and swinging a bat may be painful.Stage III: Why haven't you seen a doctor yet!? Pain and tenderness in the elbow is constant with moderate to severe swelling. Loss of function of your elbow, with possible popping of the joint. Rest and ice is the most important thing, don't think about playing baseball for a few weeks.
