Check out this terrific slide! Whats that on her shoulder? Thats right, its KT Tape!
Softball high school athlete Nikita Nelson slides into second base proudly bearing her KT Tape for all to see. Nelsons team, defending champions Grand County contented with San Juan at the state semifinals in Spanish Fork, UT last week, and Nelson sported KT Tape for the game (Trent Nelson, The Salt Lake Tribune). Shoulder injuries are the most common injury in baseball and softball- both for youth and adult players. Dr. Teri McCambridge, chair of The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Sports Medicine & Fitness explains, "The majority of sports-related injuries involve the body's soft tissues rather than the bones. That's why it's important that children avoid overuse or strain."
Shoulder applications are one of the most popular KT Tape apps for softball and baseball athletes. Pain in the front of the shoulder is usually the result of strained or inflamed biceps tendons. Inflammation of the biceps tendons or strained ligaments contributes to pain in the front of the shoulder. KT Tape is helpful in increasing lymphatic drainage, reducing pain by relieving pressure on nerves, and proving support and stability to the shoulder.
A Medco Athletics report on youth baseball and softball injuries found that most relate to the shoulder and elbow, and outlined several steps to prevention and further understanding. You can read an excerpt from the article below, or click here to view the full report. Overall, several important areas need to be examined to understand elbow and shoulder injuries in youth baseball players. These areas include but are not limited to epidemiology, biomechanics, and prevention of elbow and shoulder injuries in youth baseball pitchers. First, most injuries occur to the elbow, with Little League Elbow being the most common injury. The anatomy of the elbow allows for instability that is a predisposing factor to injury, however the shoulder can also be injured with pitching and throwing in youth baseball players. Secondly, the ability to pitch correctly requires proper biomechanics. Improper mechanics may lead to a decrease in performance or an increase in the risk of injury. (21) Information concerning throwing injuries and the six phases of throwing can help teach techniques to improve treatment and prevention of throwing injuries. (13)
Finally, prevention is another aspect of elbow and shoulder injuries. Prevention is multi-dimensional and includes all personnel involved. Additionally, the major concern is the number of pitches not the number of innings pitched per youth baseball player.
The information above indicates that researching elbow and shoulder injuries in youth baseball players requires a comprehensive approach. Many components, including epidemiology, biomechanics and prevention must be examined to completely understand the significance and severity of injuries to a youth baseball pitcher's arm. To read the entire article about the High School softball game, visit the Tribune website.
