06/01/2022
While it is commonly known that baseball players often suffer from shoulder and elbow injuries incurred from their throwing action, the repetition of this unilateral movement can result in injuries elsewhere in the body. A 2018 study published in the Journal of Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy found that players who have low back injuries were associated with having knee pain. The study comprised a cross-sectional questionnaire involving 1,609 young baseball players aged 6-15 years of age. Knee pain was significantly associated with low back pain. Variables accounted for included s*x, age, body mass index, team levels, number of days of training per week, number of hours in practice per day on weekdays and weekend, frequency of participation in games, practice intensity, and player position.
This study is in agreement with clinical experience where indirect injuries can occur where disruption to biomechanics occurs elsewhere in the body. For example, if restricted range of motion occurs in the joints of the lower limb ie. ankle, knee or hip from a tight muscle or inactive prime movers, altered biomechanics may influence how the upper body compensates to achieve the same throw power and direction. Low back pain can occur when the body undergoes unaccustomed twists or turns where it doesn’t have adequate strength or mobility to do so.
Chiropractors treat injuries in all areas of the body and prescribe rehabilitation exercises. Progression of exercises is required to be sport specific, enabling the patient to return to sport once their bodies are rehabilitated and prepared for the specific demands of their sport
