What is the Overhead Throwing Analysis and Injury Recovery Program?
Throwing a baseball or softball is one of the most strenuous activities on the shoulder and elbow that you perform as an athlete. Whether pitching or fielding the ball, many baseball and softball players develop arm soreness or injury during their season that causes decreased performance or loss of playing time. Most of these injuries are simple overuse injuries that can be attributed to muscular fatigue, muscular imbalances or throwing mechanics. These injuries require specialized care, and our Sports Medicine experts can help.
In addition to your injured joint, it’s critically important to treat your entire body — including hip, trunk, back and core muscle groups. Our multidisciplinary specialists in Columbus, Ohio, have extensive experience with throwing athletes of all skill levels — from recreational to the Major Leagues:
- Fellowship-trained sports medicine physicians
- Board certified, residency-trained physical therapists
- Licensed athletic trainers
- Certified strength and conditioning specialists
Physical therapists fast-tracked to baseball’s big leagues via specialized training program
A unique training program that originated at The Ohio State University is preparing physical therapists with the advanced training they need to take on coveted medical careers in Major League Baseball. Throughout the 12-month Upper Extremity Athlete Fellowship Program, physical therapists actively integrate curriculum-based knowledge into practice to ensure comprehensive care of professional athletes.
Overhead throwing analysis services
During an hour-and-a-half session, we’ll explore all the factors behind the motion of your arm with:
- A throwing/pitching and injury history
- A physical examination including strength, flexibility, coordination/balance, posture and throwing-specific movements
- Shoulder, scapular, elbow, spine and lower extremity assessment and alignment
- Slow-motion video analysis of your biomechanical patterns and angles
- Treatment plan and specialized exercises based on results of the physical examination and video analysis
Cost: $150 (uninjured)
*If you’re dealing with an injury, contact your physician to get a referral and have the appointment billed to your insurance.
What are the benefits of this program?
- Prevent injury – Address mechanical flaws and strengthen key muscle groups to reduce common injuries.
- Recovery from injury – Our experts help you return to your sport with a progressive approach to minimize re-injury risks and rebuild strength and technique.
- Enhanced performance – Proper mechanics can improve your throwing speed and increase your control.
- Personalized approach – Programs tailored to your unique skill set and goals.
Who is a candidate for this program?
This program is ideal for anyone who wants to learn how to avoid potential future injuries or ensure the most efficient recovery from a current injury. We work with athletes of all skill levels.
Our multidisciplinary team has experience with many injuries associated with overhead throwing, such as elbow ligament injuries like Tommy John.
Orthopedic treatment for pitchers, throwing athletes
Gregory Cvetanovich, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, explains some of the treatment options available for overhead or throwing athletes, such as pitchers or softball players. The first line of treatment is nonsurgical options, such as rehabilitation, but Ohio State also focuses on prevention and, if required, surgical options like Tommy John surgery or arthroscopic surgery for elbow and shoulder injuries.