Little league elbow is a generalized term given to young throwing athletes that suffer from pain on the inside of their elbow. Typically this pain is from overuse although it can be caused from a single traumatic injury. Overuse of the throwing arm can cause injury to the ligaments, tendon or even bone. If not treated, little league elbow can cause a UCL tear which typically requires surgery (commonly known as Tommy John Surgery).
The elbow is made up of three bones, the humerus, the ulna and the radius. These bones are connected by ligaments, tendons and muscles which hold everything in place and allow the elbow to move. Before age 14, these structures are not fully developed which can lead to easy injury. Pitch counts are used in baseball/softball to help limit the number of throws and overuse of the elbow. Kids suffering from little league elbow typically have the following symptoms:
Difficulty or pain straightening their elbow
Pain at inside of elbow with throwing or lifting
Locking or stiffness in elbow
Swelling.
The risk of Little League elbow increases if the child is playing their throwing sport year round, how often they throw on a weekly basis and if they have weakness in the legs, core or shoulders.
So why would a weak core or shoulder cause elbow pain? The kinematic chain
The kinematic chain is a term that describes how one joint of part of the body directly influences another. When you watch a pitcher in the MLB you can see how he uses his legs and core to get more power behind the ball. They use the bigger muscle groups including the legs, core and shoulder to generate the power rather than just the smaller muscles of your arm. This protects those small muscles from overuse. Exercises to strengthen the kinematic chain not only improve pain and protect the elbow but they can also add speed to your throw.
Therapy of this condition is a typical first step to get things stronger and limit further irritation of the elbow. Through assessment your therapist will assess and treat areas of weakness to help improve your kinematic chain. Therapy does not have to be once you have pain, use it as prevention!
Check out our free exercise guide as a first step to getting stronger and eliminating pain. Stretching tight muscles and strengthening weak ones will promote the optimal muscle balance. Stretching and warm ups need to be incorporated into every single practice. It is important for throwers to consider off season strengthening and conditioning to help eliminate problems in the future.
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