Pitcher's Arm Plague: Staying on the Mound and Off the Bench

U.S. News & World Report—April 18, 2016

U.S. News & World Report contributing writer Robert Panariello explains the common overuse injuries that young pitchers face while on the mound. According to the article, "high school baseball pitchers are known to be at risk for shoulder and elbow injuries and have become an amplified concern as they tend to occur more often – and are more severe – compared to those sustained by position players. It has been documented that of high school baseball injuries that resulted in surgery, 73 percent were by pitchers."

The article also includes a quote from David W. Altchek, MD, a sports medicine surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery: "Pitching places great levels of stress at the shoulder and elbow joints. These high stress levels applied to adolescents with open growth plates at the shoulder and elbow may negatively affect these areas, resulting in ligament and/or bony changes. Since tendonitis is not commonly observed in the adolescent competitor, when pain and discomfort arises in the shoulder and/or elbow, the athlete should be evaluated by a qualified sports medicine professional."

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