Baseball Injury Treatment in Knoxville

Take me out to the ballgame! It’s finally springtime in Knoxville, and that means baseball season is here! Baseball diamonds are filling with athletes of all ages: young ones play tee ball, middle and high school age kids play on school teams, and adults play both in professional leagues and recreational traveling teams. Baseball is known for several common injuries, many of which are overuse injuries. Knowing about such injuries, being proactive with training, and taking care of your body is key to avoiding such injuries.

Here are a few of the more common injuries we see from the baseball diamond:

· Muscle pulls and tears can occur when players exhibit sudden bursts of speeds running around the plate or running in the outfield, particularly without proper conditioning and warm-up exercises.

· ACL injuries typically occur when the knee is impacted from the front or rear, while MCL injuries occur with knee side impacts. Ankle sprains are also very common when overtaxing the joint or pivoting or changing direction.

· Upper body shoulder injuries are very common with frequent overuse in throwing or even direct hits to the shoulder. In particular, UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) injuries are common in baseball pitchers as they are continually throwing and pitching the balls.

· Rotator cuff tears are very common in pitchers due to repetitive injury to the shoulder area that causes the tendons to wear down over time.

If you begin to struggle with pain or weakness on the field, seek treatment before symptoms worsen. We commonly treat pitchers who experience elbow pain and catchers who deal with knee pain. The repeated motion of pitching and the continued squat stance of a catcher can both lead to overuse injuries. Chances are, if you continue to throw or continue to put yourself in those positions, symptoms will not simply “go away.” Prevention and early treatment can be key to avoiding worse injury.

As with any sport, it is key to also have a knowledgeable trainer who is very active in your training program and knows the aches and pains you deal with. You might think your symptoms are minor, but playing with a spinal injury or other injury can mean major damage down the road. A good trainer will always make sure you are medically evaluated and have been cleared before you return to play.

Proper conditioning and correct movement mechanics are also very important when it comes to preventing injury. At Knoxville Spine and Sports, our staff is experienced in a variety of training protocols and proper biomechanics. We work with all levels of athletes to teach proper conditioning to minimize and often completely avoid injury. We can work with you on necessary strengthening exercises and stretching movements and can speak with you about any injury concerns or predispositions you may have.

Centrally located in Knoxville, we are in close proximity to numerous schools and other sporting organizations. Let us help with all your injury prevention and care. Before the first pitch is thrown, come see us!