ContactTalk toa real person.Two clinics, one number to call or text. Same-day appointments for acute injuries whenever we can. The front desk will match you with the right surgeon.
Throwing loads the shoulder and elbow thousands of times a season.
Over time the back of the shoulder tightens, the labrum frays, the biceps anchor loosens, and the elbow ligament stretches.Dr. Christensen trained at the Andrews Institute, where the throwing athlete is the daily case.
Pain at the back or deep inside the shoulder during the late cocking phase of a throw.Loss of velocity or control. A dead-arm feeling. Pain on the inside of the elbow with throwing.
Symptoms often build over a season rather than from one pitch.
Common signs
Pain in late cocking
Lost velocity
Dead-arm feeling
Inside elbow pain
See us sooner if
Pain in a young thrower
Numbness in the hand
Throwing Injuries
Causes
Pitch counts, year-round throwing without rest, poor mechanics, and tightness in the back of the shoulder that shifts the load forward.Growth plate stress in younger throwers.Most throwing injuries are overuse injuries, not accidents.
Throwing Injuries
How We Diagnose It
Exam measures rotation and tightness, tests the labrum and biceps, and checks the elbow ligament.MRI with contrast shows labral and ligament damage when surgery is being considered.A throwing-specific history matters as much as the imaging.Baseball and softball athletes from Utah County schools and colleges are seen throughout the season. Dr. Christensen, Dr. Taylor and Dr. Johnson operate at Utah Valley Hospital and American Fork Hospital.
Throwing Injuries
Treatment Options
Rest from throwing, a structured stretching and strengthening program, mechanics correction and a graduated return-to-throw program resolve most throwing injuries.
Confirmed labral tears and elbow ligament tears that fail rehabilitation are treated surgically, with arthroscopic repair or ligament reconstruction.
Andrews Institute sports medicine fellowship under Dr. James Andrews. Board certified in orthopedic surgery and orthopedic sports medicine. Fluent in Spanish.
ContactTalk toa real person.Two clinics, one number to call or text. Same-day appointments for acute injuries whenever we can. The front desk will match you with the right surgeon.
