Overhand throwing causing some pain

[TeNeetKeeMom]

My DD told me the other day that her shoulder hurts when ever she plays catch (throwing overhand). She says it does not hurt when she pitches or even when she plays long throw (overhand) but when she moves in closer to throw the ball hard (playing catch) - she says it hurts. I questioned her hard about if it hurts her when she pitches but she says no - it does not seem like. BUT I would have never known about her shoulder hurting when she plays catch (over-handed) either if she did not tell me - no wincing because of pain or anything. Anyone have a similar thing happen or any of you know what it might be? Its not bad pain or I would have already taken her to the doctor but she says it is uncomfortable sometimes.

 

[atagame]

Yes, dd's pain went from overhand throwing to pitching, with the pain, then out 2 months for PT. ADVICE? GO SEE THE DOCTOR, see a sports medicine doctor that specializes in shoulders. They use physical tests and measure range of motion to determine what's happening. Every kid and injury is unique - don't wait until it hurts so bad she can't throw, don't ask coaches and other parents for a diagnosis, see a specialist. You will either get a diagnosis and a plan for recovery or peace of mind, either way it is worth it. Just one mom's 2 cents.

 

[TeNeetKeeMom]

Thanks! Scary - I will definitely make an appointment for her to see a sports medicine doc. I don't want to take any chances. unfortunately that appointment will have to wait for a couple of weeks because DD's team is heading to nationals next week in Indiana. She is 2nd pitcher so I know she won't be bombarded with too much pitching time (I hope). Then she will get a little rest. Hopefully it is nothing! Thanks for the reply.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

Thanks! Scary - I will definitely make an appointment for her to see a sports medicine doc. I don't want to take any chances. unfortunately that appointment will have to wait for a couple of weeks because DD's team is heading to nationals next week in Indiana. She is 2nd pitcher so I know she won't be bombarded with too much pitching time (I hope). Then she will get a little rest. Hopefully it is nothing! Thanks for the reply.

There's a growth plate in the upper arm.

It's possible that she irritated this.

I wouldn't take any chances and take her to a good sports medicine MD.

 

[Lozza]

Screw Nationals, get her checked out NOW. Seriously, it might be nothing. It could be something but you don't want to risk her making an injury worse. My mum used to make fun of me for going to the doctor every time I got a twinge, but the time I had a slight tear in my roator cuff stopped her doing that. (even though she made fun of me for going to physio last year. The fact I finished every game in tears wasn't enough to see someone apparently?)

 

[PEPPERS]

After the doctor look for someone who can teach proper mechanics for the overhand throw. My daughter’s pitching coach also teaches baseball pitching and overhand throwing, he is indorsed by a number of sports medicine doctors and is given credit by LA Dodgers pitching coach Rickey Honeycutt for extending his career after his arm injury. He has a number of pitchers in our area he has helped fix improper motions and helped them get back on the field after a arm injury.

A kid with improper mechanics can cause them to miss a number of games in a year due to injury and in some cases may end a promising SB or BB career.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I never took injuries too seriously, when my kids played. I was a kid in the 60s and we just "played through it." Thank goodness, my husband had more sense than I did.

No way would he have let me take my DD to a tournament when she wasn't 100%. As a coach (and now wiser) if I knew what you are telling us, I wouldn't let her go without a doctor's release.

Shoulder pain can be awful. I have had it, twice, for many months.

If you wanted us to look at both her pitching form and throwing form, we can. If that is her in your posts, we could venture some guesses from that. But, start with showing us the over hand throw. Also, does she ice? And does she strengthen her glove side, with exercises? (I have an idea as to her problem, but I am not a doctor, just a coach with a PE degree.)

 

[Ken Krause]

This sounds like a possible labrum tear. Not that I'm a doctor, but I've known a couple of girls who had the same symptoms -- ok to pitch, can't throw overhand -- and that's what it was. Definitely see a doctor, follow all advice to the letter (even if unpleasant) and work on overhand throwing mechanics.

By the way, if she plays volleyball too, check out her mechanics in that. Bad serving or hitting mechanics in v-ball can cause the same problems as bad overhand throwing.

 

[TeNeetKeeMom]

Thanks guys for the replies. The pain (at least as she explained it to me) isn't bad. I asked her, "Are you sure it doesn't hurt you real bad" and she said no. I would have never even known (no painful winces or faces made and no changing of mechanics) until she spoke up. When I asked her where does it hurt she points to the top of her shoulder. I asked her "how can it hurt when your playing catch/throwing over-hand but not when your pitching?" and she replied, "I don't know but it doesn't hurt when I pitch." My husband played baseball and has shown her the correct way to throw (however, Peppers it would be so great to have such a resource as the one you have. Who knows maybe it is some small thing/mechanic that my husband just doesn't see/know). Husband usually has to remind DD often to throw the ball correctly over-hand (something about her elbow being to low when she throws the ball over-hand) when they are playing catch for fun and when they are playing catch to warm-up DD for pitching. I have posted several videos of DD pitching although they are a few months old now. I will try to video tape and post her throwing both overhand and pitching again. The pain is not always there but springs up when she is warming-up when playing catch. She says it does not hurt when she throws long (out field to home, they do this at the end of warming up but before pitching warm-ups) but when they get closer to each-other to throw (closer distance to each other but now throwing the ball quick and hard/fast to one another) this is when she says her shoulder will have a pain in it. When they get done with that and start warming-up for pitching (snaps, stork drill, walk-throughs, long pitch) and finally regular pitching the whole time she says her shoulder does not bother her???? Thanks again for the replies.

 

[sluggers]

Where is the pain? Is it on the front, top, back or side of the shoulder?

My DD had the same problem. She stretched the proximal end of the bicep tendon pitching. (Again, if anyone is interested, there is a study showing that the bicep tendon is severely stressed during the pitching motion.) The long head of the bicep tendon extends from the bicep to the front of the shoulder. The attached picture shows where the bicep tendon and its location in the shoulder.

When you throw underhand, the tendon is stretched over and over and over again. Eventually, it will lengthen so much that it can pop out of the groove it sits in. When you throw overhand, the tendon is stretched across the shoulder. If the bicep tendon becomes inflamed, then it will hurt when you throw overhand, but not underhand.


Link discussing bicep tendon