How to Avoid Baseball Injuries
- Posted on: Mar 30 2015
While baseball can be a fun activity for children and adults alike, it can leave you at risk for a number of different injuries. While no piece of protective equipment, set of stretches, or throwing or fielding technique can protect every player at all times, heeding the following advice will reduce the likelihood of both serious injuries and normal wear and tear.
Use Safety Equipment
The most important thing to recognize is that catchers are not the only players who need protection from batted and thrown balls. Every batter must wear a helmet to reduce risks for concussions and head injuries. Its also recommended that youth players keep their batting helmets on while running the bases.
Warm Up and Stay Loose
Use pregame and between-inning periods to build skills, stretch and get in a few minutes of exercise. Playing a start-and-stop game like baseball puts athletes at risk for both lapses of attention and muscle strains.
To kick into gear, the body must be ready to respond. That means ligaments and tendons cannot be tight and muscles must be warm. Regardless of the particular exercises and poses, the goals of each baseball warmup need to be strengthening core muscles such as the abdominals, increasing range of motion and raising players’ performance.
Protect Each Player’s Throwing Arm
Throwing a baseball puts great stress on the wrist, elbow and shoulder, even for players who are not pitchers. Before each game, start with soft throws to help stretch muscles and loosen up joints. As the arm begins to warm up, increase the intensity of your throws until they reach they reach the level they would be at during a game.
Need More Advice? Contact Desio Sports Medicine.
For more information about baseball injuries, contact Dr. Desio today. Our offices are located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and we proudly serve all surrounding areas. Schedule your appointment today at 508.363.6363. We hope to hear from you soon.
Posted in: Injury Prevention Tips