Keeping an Athlete in the Game: Elbow Injury Prevention
You’ve probably heard of tennis elbow, an overuse injury that causes pain in the elbow and forearm. But did you know athletes of all types can experience elbow injuries? Baseball players, golfers, and pickleball players can all damage their elbows while playing their sport–and tennis elbow isn’t the only condition out there. Athlete elbow injury prevention is important for anyone frequently extending their arms.
The team of hand and occupational therapists at Cascade Hand & Orthopedic Rehab are experts in the upper extremities: your shoulders, hands, wrists, and elbows. If you’re struggling with persistent elbow pain, we can help you dig down to the root cause and work with you to resolve it completely.
But more importantly, we can also help you prevent elbow injuries from occurring in the first place! Most elbow pain is similar to tennis elbow in that it results from performing the same movements repeatedly (such as throwing a baseball or swinging a golf club). Our therapists can show you a few simple strategies to reduce the stress caused by those repeated motions.
Curious to learn more about athlete elbow injury prevention? Keep reading–or call our clinic to speak to our friendly experts!
Who Needs To Think About Athlete Elbow Injury Prevention?
The elbow is a surprisingly complex joint. Three different bones create three different articulations to form a hinge joint that allows you to throw, reach, pick up items, and much more. Your elbow also consists of several muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves, which can all potentially suffer damage.
While we often associate sports-related elbow injuries with overhead throwing (such as in baseball) or swinging motions (such as in pickleball, tennis, or golf), other types of athletes aren’t necessarily off the hook. Football players, wrestlers, and lacrosse players are also potentially at risk. Even weight training to prepare for the season can lead to problems.
Common Elbow Injuries in Athletes
No matter what sort of sport you play, here are some of the elbow injuries you want to watch out for:
- UCL Injury: The UCL is one of the ligaments in your elbow, and injury to it is the most common source of elbow pain among athletes. Typically, it results from a gradual tearing of the ligament brought on by repeated overhead movements, and symptoms include pain on the inner side of your elbow, hand and grip weakness, and difficulty throwing.
- Tendinitis: Your tendons connect your muscles to your bones, and tendinitis occurs when they become inflamed, usually due to overuse. Tennis elbow is a type of tendinitis that affects the outside of your elbow, while golfer’s elbow affects the inside. Regardless of where the tendonitis occurs, symptoms include pain, immobility in the joint, and swelling.
- Ulnar Neuritis: This nerve injury is similar to the more familiar carpal tunnel syndrome but affects a different nerve that runs from your shoulder to your hand. When that nerve becomes irritated due to the frequent stretching caused by throwing motions, it can lead to pain in the elbow (if you’ve ever hit your “funny bone,” the pain is a similar sensation), plus numbness and tingling in the fingers.
- Valgus Extension Overload: Another result of repeated throwing motions, this condition causes the cartilage that protects the bones in your elbow joint to wear down, causing bone spurs to develop. Symptoms include pain and swelling in the back part of the elbow.
If you’re an athlete and have noticed a repeated occurrence of elbow pain, schedule an appointment with our team of upper extremity specialists. We’ll help you know which specific condition is causing your pain–and help you find a solution to resolve it.
Strategies for Elbow Injury Prevention in Athletes
There are a few things to remember to help you avoid an elbow injury. Our therapists can help you develop a comprehensive prevention plan based on your needs, but here are a few of the strategies we might suggest:
- Proper conditioning: Keeping the soft tissue of your elbow joint fit and healthy is essential. Our therapists can show you specialized exercises to condition your elbow and prepare it for the extensive use required by throwing and swinging sports.
- Proper technique: Many overuse injuries result not only from repetitive stress but from the repetition of improper form, which can cause issues over time. We can conduct physical exams that help us pinpoint any movement irregularities and guide you on how to correct them.
- Use proper equipment: Make sure your equipment is the right size and shape for your needs. Our therapists can help check it.
- Leave plenty of time for recovery: One of the biggest risk factors for developing an elbow injury is having had one before–and not giving it plenty of time to rehabilitate properly. That’s why seeking treatment at Cascade Hand & Orthopedic Rehab is important if you notice any symptoms!
How Cascade Hand & Orthopedic Rehab Can Help If You’ve Suffered an Elbow Injury
Athletes should seek professional assistance if they notice any pain or impairment in their elbow. Ignoring it can cause more problems in the long run!
Our team of hand therapists will perform a thorough exam to help us understand your condition. We’ll take a complete health history, review your symptoms, discuss your rehabilitation goals, and perform simple movement screens to assess limitations and biomechanical issues.
From there, we’ll develop a customized treatment plan that will help address pain, restore mobility, and ensure you heal properly and get back on the field ready to compete. Therapeutic exercise is one of the most effective means of managing elbow pain, so we’ll prepare a targeted exercise program to help you build strength and improve range of motion in your upper extremities.
In addition, we might utilize mobilization techniques, particularly if your injury is severe. Joint mobilization involves guiding the affected joint through its range of motion, helping to reduce pain and restore mobility so you can dive into more active exercise treatments.
Conclusion
Are you ready to bat your elbow pain away for good? Schedule an appointment with Cascade Hand & Orthopedic Rehab to receive personalized guidance on preventing and treating sports-related elbow injuries!