Pitcher's Shoulder/Tennis Shoulder - Medtick
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Pitcher’s Shoulder/Tennis Shoulder

What is it?

Painful shoulder overuse injuries that occur in throwing a ball sports i.e baseball, cricket, rugby, volley ball, tennis etc.

  • There are various parts of your shoulder that can be injured from your throwing procedure, your pain can be anything from a local pain near the shoulder joint, to a spreading pain that travels up your shoulder and neck or down into your arm.
  • Being an overuse injury, it is caused by repeated trauma rather than a specific incident.
  • If this goes on, injuries such as rotator cuff impingement and tendonitis, rotator cuff tears, bursitis, capsule and ligament damage, or cartilage damage can occur.
  • It typically takes 2 to 4 months to achieve complete relief of pain, but it may take up to a year to return to your sports activities.

Diagnosis Tests

Consider:

Physiotutors

Healthline

The minimum time for recovery from rotator cuff tendonitis or a small tear is generally two to four weeks treatment and exercises, and tears can be a minimum four months.

Surgery:

  • All of the operations for the throwing shoulder — whether it is an operation to tighten the shoulder or to fix a torn labrum — take about three months to heal. Throwers who have these operations on average take nine to 12 months to recover fully for throwing.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org
Please see your Medical Doctor If symptoms not improving after a week or one is in a lot of pain

Cause

  • Over-training
  • Fatigue
  • Hypermobility
  • Poor stroke technique
  • Weakness
  • Tightness
  • Previous shoulder injury or use of hand paddles can lead to your muscles and ligaments being overworked.

Symptoms

  • Pain and swelling in the front of the shoulder and side of the arm?
  • Pain in shoulder triggered by raising or lowering the arm?
  • Clicking sound when raising the arm?
  • Aching, painful muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness?
  • Joint stiffness and pain?
  • Pain in shoulder that causes you to wake from sleep?
  • Pain in shoulder when reaching behind the back?
  • Loss of mobility and strength in the affected arm?

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

This condition can lead to:

General tips

  1. Rest – stop the exercise or activities that caused the injury until you feel better
  2. Ice – put an ice pack (one could use a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a teatowel) on the injury for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours
  3. Compress – wrap a bandage around the injury to support it
  4. Elevate – if possible, keep the injured area raised on a pillow when sitting or lying down

To help prevent swelling during the first 2 to 3 days, try to avoid:

  • Heat, such as hot baths and heat packs
  • Alcohol
  • Massages

When you can move the injured area without pain stopping you, try to keep moving it so the tendon doesn’t become stiff.

Do

  • Warm up before exercising and stretch afterwards
  • Wear suitable shoes for exercise
  • Take regular breaks from repetitive exercises

Don’t

  • Over-exercise tired muscles
  • Start a new sport without some training or practice
  • Stick to the same repetitive exercises

NHS.UK

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice

Detailed Information

Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Pitcher’s Shoulder/Tennis Shoulder in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).

Diet, Exercise and Body Manipulations

AAOS (American Academy of Orthorpaedic Surgeons)

St Geroges University Hospitals 

Bridgewater Community Healthcare

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