Blog for Roger Smith
Little League Liabilites
Who knew little league could be so hazardous?
Spring. It’s when flowers bloom, birds chirp, and elbows and fingers throb. Ah, it’s Little League season. Baseball has the power to teach kids valuable life lessons like confidence, teamwork and dedication. But what parents don’t realize is that baseball has sports-injury written all over it. Orthopedic practices like ours call these “Little League Elbow” and “Mallet Finger.”
It’s important to respond to any complaints of pain from your child quickly. These could be early signs of a repetitive motion injury of the elbow or shoulder. The sooner you detect Little League Elbow Syndrome the better. Early attention leads to improved outcomes and decreases the risk of a long-term sports-related disabilities.
What causes this injury?
During the throwing motion, stress is placed on the elbow. And when a pitcher or other player overdoes it, tissue breakdown and starts to exceed tissue repair. If it goes unnoticed or untreated, it could lead to delayed growth, ligament tear or a fracture down the road.
Little League elbow syndrome is most often a result of overtraining, lack of preseason conditioning, and/or poor coaching techniques. It’s important to help your child understand the value of warming up before practices and proper training.
Another Little League injury commonly seen during baseball season is called “Mallet Finger” and it has many symptoms parents can watch for. For starters, there is a visible deformity of the finger caused when a tendon is damaged. Typically, it occurs after a ball strikes the tip of the finger causing damage to the thin tendon that allows the finger or thumb to straighten. The result is the inability to straighten the digit. The finger is also swollen, painful and often times bruised, even under the nail bed. The majority of cases require non-surgical treatment usually entailing a splint to keep the finger extended over the course of several weeks. In rare cases, surgery is needed to repair fractures or joint malalignment.
This season, as you’re in the stands cheering your Little Leaguer on, be sure to stay vigilant as to your child’s physical health. The lessons of Little League should stay with your child forever, not the injuries.
The information on this site is purely informational and may not pertain to your specific ailment. It should not be taken in lieu of a doctor's advice!
