Majority of parents unaware of safe pitching practices (AAOS)
A new study presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that 53 percent of the parents/caregivers of youth baseball pitchers are unaware of safe pitching practices designed to prevent overuse injuries--common tears or damage, most often to the elbow (ulnar collateral ligament) or shoulder--which can cause pain, lost play time and, if not treated appropriately, arthritis, deformity and disability.
Between 2 and 8 percent of youth pitchers will suffer an overuse injury from throwing too hard, too often, too young, and/or without appropriate rest once pain begins in the shoulder or elbow. One recent study found that approximately 38 percent of pitchers will miss at least one game because of arm pain, with 34 percent experiencing pain severe enough to warrant a doctor's visit.
As the number of overuse injuries continues to rise in young baseball players, safe pitching guidelines--which focus on proper warm up exercises; maximum play time and pitch counts; recommended rest periods; appropriate ages for learning various types of pitches; and not playing on multiple te...
