Baseball Injuries

Baseball Injuries
The great American sport, baseball appeals to enthusiasts of all ages, kids and adults alike. Baseball, as well as, softball afford many opportunities for injuries since they both require a high level of hand-eye coordination, great upper body strength, particularly in the wrists, hands, and forearms. Limited protective gear also make these players vulnerable to other impact injuries.

Common Baseball Injuries—Bruises and Hematomas • Sciatica • Hamstring Injuries • Little League Elbow • Rotator Cuff Tears • Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tears

In a significant impact, such as a deep muscle bruise to the front of the thigh, an unusually large hematoma will form in the muscle, resulting in muscle stiffness. This can prohibiting it from working the way an athlete would like it to work, creating an inability to run and making even walking a difficulty. Regardless of the tissue affected, the healing process can take six weeks or more, depending on the severity of the injury.

Baseball players and other athletes who put a lot of stress on their backs risk irritating their sciatic nerve called sciatica. A tell-tale symptom of sciatica is intermittent back pain that radiates to the hamstring or calf, often producing some numbness in the toes. Success in ending the pain of sciatica depends on the degree of irritation.

Pitchers are also more susceptible to injuries like tendonitis. With throwing and particularly pitching, there are strong forces pulling the inside of the elbow in different directions. At the same time, there are compressive forces on the outside of the elbow. These stresses occur with any throwing activity and can cause a number of injuries, like tendonitis; injuries to the ulnar nerve; and tears of the ulnar collateral ligament.

Susceptible Injury Areas—Head • Neck • Forearm • Joints/tendons • Elbow • Knee • Lower leg • Foot/ankle • Shoulder • Lower back • Thigh