Does Your Child Have Little League Elbow? Physical Therapy can Help!
Is your son or daughter complaining about pain along the inner part of their elbow? Have you noticed swelling around the elbow, especially after practice or a game? Pain and swelling on the inner aspect of the elbow may be a sign of “Little League Elbow. Fortunately, at Apex Physical Therapy our physical therapists are experts at treating all types of pediatric and sports injuries!
Little League Elbow, also known as medial apophysitis, is one of the most common overuse injuries experienced in adolescent baseball/softball. These young athletes are skeletally immature, and the effects of repetitive overhand throwing cause the inner elbow growth plate to become inflamed.
At our physical therapy clinic, we can help resolve the pain and swelling. Our clinic provides evidence-based information to educate coaches, trainers, parents, and officials about the importance of proper throwing mechanics and adherence to pitch counts so the kids can have a pain-free season.
If your child is experiencing pain in their elbow as a result of playing baseball or softball, call Apex Physical Therapy today to schedule an appointment.
Symptoms of Little League Elbow
Little League Elbow should be suspected in adolescent players between the ages of 9-14 years old with inner elbow pain and/or swelling. The pain is typically felt while throwing or immediately after. It is very common for the pain to worsen with more innings pitched or games played.
There is often swelling and tenderness to the touch on the medial aspect of the elbow. In severe cases, there can be a loss of motion in either the bent or extended position.
When left untreated, some athletes may experience an avulsion fracture (i.e., a small chunk of bone attached to a tendon or ligament gets pulled away from the main part of the bone). Proper treatment is necessary to minimize the recurrence of Little League Elbow and develop these fractures.
Overuse injuries are often due to muscular imbalances after accelerated growth periods, excessive or limited flexibility, and training volume. Our physical therapists can help resolve the pain, swelling, and weaknesses before allowing the athlete to return to play. We will also work on throwing mechanics and training volume to prevent these injuries.
What to expect in physical therapy
Patient education, injury prevention strategy, and creating realistic patient expectations are emphasized as essential aspects of physical therapy treatments. We will start with an injury evaluation and possibly a throwing assessment to identify all the factors contributing to the injury.
An effective rehabilitation program is dependent on an accurate diagnosis. Our team will conduct a thorough history to understand more about the practice and game schedules, the demands on the body, and the athlete’s overall health status. We will use this information to identify the underlying condition and pathology of the symptoms.
We will incorporate treatment modalities to reduce elbow pain and inflammation before initiating active rehabilitation. The program will emphasize correcting the cause of the dysfunction and/or pain.
Rehabilitation for Little League Elbow will focus on re-establishing full ROM, dynamic shoulder stability, and implementing a strengthening program to restore strength, power, and full endurance of the shoulder and shoulder blade musculature.
When ready, athletes undergo a supervised progressive throwing program that emphasizes proper throwing mechanics and training methods. Additionally, utilization of pitch counts, appropriate rest, and adequate off-season conditioning will help decrease the reinjury risk.
Request an appointment today!
At Apex Physical Therapy, we understand how important your child’s sport is to them – and you! Our physical therapists are experts at treating Little League Elbow and all sports injuries. We have proven success with treating athletes of all skill levels. When your child comes to our clinic for treatment, rest assured that their symptoms and pain points will be fully addressed with the best methods we have to offer.
Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, and get back to watching your little athlete kill it out on the field!
Sources:
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2325967121S00146
- https://europepmc.org/article/NBK/nbk570592
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780323530910000245
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-69567-5_13
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1941738117690847