Throwing Form Correction for Baseball Shoulder

Abstract

The effect of the throwing form correction for a baseball shoulder was evaluated. Materials and methods: Forty-five baseball pitchers with throwing pain in their shoulders were examined. All were males aged 10 to 31 years (mean 17.4), with a duration of shoulder pain on throwing of 32 months in average (range 2 weeks to 11 years). The throwing motions were recorded by a digital video camera and were evaluated as to whether there were any problems in the throwing form. The throwing form was corrected and grade of pain relief and return to pitching was inquired into. Results: Forty-two of the 45 cases (93%) had one or more problems in their throwing form. Problems in the throwing arm in 35 cases (83%), in the trunk or lower extremities motion in 32 cases (76%) and in the opposite arm in 23 cases (55%) were observed.
Remarkable or moderate pain relief in 28 cases (67%) and complete return to pitching in 21 cases (50%) were gained by throwing form correction. The outcomes were better in the younger cases and the cases with the shorter periods form the onset of the pain. Conclusion: The throwing form correction was effective for baseball shoulder, especially for the younger cases.