Little League Elbow
Little league elbow is a progression of overuse injuries that affects the inside elbow of children and adolescents. The act of overhead throwing creates compression on the outside of the elbow and distraction on the inside. This distraction force over time starts to create an overstretching of the ligament that stabilizes the inside of the elbow. Over time, this force starts to damage the tissue if not given adequate time to rest inbetween activity. Over stressing of the inside of the elbow often comes from faulty core and hip mechanics.
Individuals with little league elbow typically have pain on the inside of their throwing arm. Symptoms often start in the middle to late season as workload increases and rest time diminishes. Coaches and parents should watch for a marked decrease in velocity, accuracy and distance in throws if a child does not complain for fear of losing playing time. There is often swelling, stiffness and loss of motion in the elbow as well. Forceful wrist flexion often makes the pain worse.
Treatment for little league elbow typically starts with a reduction of the aggravating activity. Manual release techniques are used to increase the flexibility of the tissues of the arm and forearm. Manipulation is used to restore proper joint mechanics of the wrist, elbow, shoulder, mid back and neck. Rehabilitation exercises focus on strengthening muscles, increasing tendon resilience, correcting any underlying issues and maintaining nerve mobility. Shoulder stability and scapular function should also be assessed and treated if any deficits are found. When returning to activity, load should not be increased at a rate of more than 10% per week.
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