An athlete performs at his best when his body is in top shape. Injuries from overexertion in baseball players take their toll over time. So, safeguarding athletes from overuse injuries is (or should be) a primary concern in sports. In baseball, keeping an eye on the arm is crucial. Baseball players, especially pitchers, can really put their arms through the wringer with repeated and forceful throwing motions. The strain from constant throwing can lead to tiny injuries in soft tissues, putting players at risk for chronic injuries (1-4) and excessive stretching of soft tissues.
Chronic stretching of the front capsule and tightening of the back capsule can result in trauma, creating instability and impingement (1, 10). Thanks to intense overhead throwing, baseball players might face glenohumeral internal rotation deficits (GIRD) in the dominant arm. GIRD is a condition causing a loss of internal rotation in the glenohumeral joint compared to the opposite side (1, 5, 6, 8, 9).
Decoding Overuse: Unveiling the Impact on Baseball Players and the Role of Body Assessments.
As a result, sports medicine commonly employs comprehensive body assessments, which include the evaluation of multi-joint movement quality. These assessments offer athletes, as well as coaches and trainers, insights into how their bodies are handling the demands of the game. Utilized in these evaluations are standard screening tools such as the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and Selective Functional Movement Screen (SFMA). The FMS determines stability and identifies imbalances in a player’s movement, while the SFMA, on the other hand, is capable of diagnosing musculoskeletal dysfunction. The crucial question arises: How reliable are these tools in pinpointing the risk of overuse in baseball players? A team of scientists undertook an investigation to provide a potential answer—examining whether pre-season FMS or SFMA scores could furnish accurate information regarding the risk of in-season overuse symptoms.
Let's dive into the science.
In the 2017 study, 60 male NCAA Division III collegiate baseball players were evaluated during the pre- and competitive seasons. Screenings were conducted over a 2-week period before official team practices began. FMS and SFMA scores were categorized as “good” or “poor.” To track overuse symptoms and pain severity, weekly questionnaires were given to each player throughout the pre- and competitive seasons (1). All scores were tallied and assessed at the study’s end, and here’s what they found:
FINDINGS
During the preseason, poor FMS and SFMA scores showed a statistically significant relationship to an increased likelihood of experiencing at least one overuse symptom. However, during the competitive season, only poor SFMA scores showed the same statistically significant relationship. The study noted that a player’s position and college year didn’t influence score results.
So, what does this mean?
This study indicates that players with lower scores on FMS and SFMA screens are more prone to reporting symptoms, such as pain, associated with overuse during the preseason. Furthermore, the research proposes that SFMA screens may prove more beneficial when assessing players during the competitive season; those with poor SFMA scores are suggested to be more likely to experience at least one overuse symptom during this period (1). The findings of the study emphasize the significance of upper extremity movement screens in identifying an escalating risk of overuse symptoms in baseball players throughout the pre- and competitive seasons. These results can contribute to the development of a treatment plan aimed at helping players regain pain-free movement and function.
Now, considering all the aforementioned points, it’s crucial to acknowledge that while scientific reports can provide valuable insights, scientific studies are inherently imperfect. This implies that a single study cannot encompass all aspects. For instance, the focus of this study was quite specific, involving college male athletes. If women, middle-aged individuals, or amateur athletes were included, the conclusions might have differed. Additionally, the reliance on questionnaires introduces a potential source of bias, as individuals may interpret and report pain differently. Hence, questionnaire reports may not achieve absolute accuracy. Furthermore, it’s essential to note that this study had limitations, evaluating players only during a single season. Important factors such as fatigue, conditioning level, pitch counts, and throwing velocities were not accounted for in the study. This doesn’t diminish the significance of the study’s findings, but it prompts us to thoughtfully consider how we apply these conclusions to our individual athletic lifestyles.
What do you do when baseball players have overuse injuries?
What this study shows us is that it’s important to use the tools we have—like functional testing—to protect athletes. Yes, one such tool can be simply asking, “Hey, do you have any pain?” However, not every athlete will answer that question the same way. Knowing someone feels pain lets us know something is wrong, but it’s a vague understanding. We need to know what the body is experiencing. So, what you can do is use all the tools available to understand what’s happening on the inside. There are many testing options to choose from, all providing excellent information on the functionality and risk factor a person’s body is experiencing. Keeping yourself or your team off the bench doesn’t need to be a guessing game. If we monitor the health and function of our athletes, we can keep them on the field.
