Always Ready. Always Safe. Learn More About Our Health and Safety Protocols.corona close
Skip to main content
Back to all

Preventing Throwing Injuries in Young Baseball Players

March 15, 2022 | Tips & Trends
Share
Tweet
Share

Somewhere right now, John Fogerty’s Centerfield is playing, someone’s breaking out a fresh bag of sunflower seeds, and home plate is bright and clean – the signs that baseball season is here and ready to go!

Every year, without fail, you can see or hear about Tommy John surgery on ESPN or some other web source – this surgical procedure to reconstruct a ligament (the ulnar collateral ligament) in the elbow has become a readily recognized term due to its proliferation among baseball athletes.  What’s more concerning is that in the last couple of decades, we’ve seen a tremendous spike in the number of these being performed on young athlete.Why is this concerning?  Two common things associated with this surgery are pitching mechanics and excessive volume (I.e., overuse).  Especially in young athletes, we’ve seen pitching volume to be a big factor in injuries that lead to this surgery.  And why does the surgery matter?  Having a Tommy John procedure usually leads to being out of throwing for around a year – that’s a long time off of the diamond!

Fortunately, we have some solid guidelines produced from one of the best – Dr. James Andrews (known internationally for his surgical acumen and research on multiple things including Tommy John surgery).  If you or someone you know is involved with youth baseball, this is an absolute can’t-miss resource to promote the health and safety of our young athletes.

Have more specific questions about staying healthy during baseball season?  Give our clinic a call to set up a time to chat with our provider!

Baseball Injury Prevention from Dr. James Andrews

The entire Phoenix Physical Therapy Team is committed to providing our patients with quality physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy in a safe and healthy clinic environment. We continue to follow the guidance provided by the CDC, WHO and public health officials to update you as new information becomes available. Let’s work together to keep each other safe and healthy.

The safety of our patients, communities and team members remains our top priority. We know you have a choice in your care providers and appreciate your commitment to Phoenix and our qualified clinicians.

Here are the actions we have taken to keep our patients, communities and team healthy & safe:

  • Flexible scheduling allows for social distancing
  • Regular cleaning and sanitation of all clinic surfaces
  • Facemasks must be worn by all Phoenix staff and are recommended for all patients
  • Screening questionnaire and temperature checks prior to entering clinics
  • 6 feet of social distancing throughout the clinics

Keeping Our Clinics Safe

Here are some tips on how we can keep each other safe:

  • Handwashing is your best self-defense against the spread of germs. When soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, use at least a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Please stay home if you are not feeling well, especially if you have a fever, are coughing or sneezing, or are experiencing shortness of breath. If a patient shows up with symptoms, the clinic team will work with them to reschedule.
  • Be vigilant. If you have traveled to any of the countries where there are outbreaks of the virus, please follow guidance from the CDC website and our Travel Guidelines.

Here are actions we are taking to keep our clinics clean and safe:

  • Equipment will be wiped down after EVERY use with antibacterial wipes/sprays
  • All surfaces that patients or staff may touch including door handles, countertops, seating, pens at sign-in, bathroom and all other common areas will be disinfected regularly
  • Treatment tables will be 6 feet apart
  • Team members will wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, particularly after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezin
  • Clinics will have hand sanitizer available at the front desk and in the treatment areas
  • Any Phoenix team members who are ill will be asked to stay home
  • We will maintain social distancing between patients in the clinic
  • Caregivers that are bringing a patient to the clinic should wait in their car or come back when the appointment has ended unless necessary (i.e. minor requiring a guardian or for assistance needs)
  • When possible, we will treat patients in private rooms to increase social distancing
  • Any patients that have underlying health issues (i.e. diabetes, respiratory problems, etc.) will be given the option to be seen during special clinic hours or can opt to be treated in a private room away from other clinicians and patients
  • All patients should be self-screening before entering the clinic. Our PCCs will perform a secondary screening during the check-in process and before patients enter the clinic including a screening questionnaire and temperature check.
×