Q: My son often complains his shoulder is sore after baseball practice. Should I be worried?
A: It’s likely that your son’s pain is due to repetitive overhead throwing. The problem may reside in damage to the muscles/tendons (rotator cuff), soft tissue stabilizers (labrum and capsule) or bone (humeral growth plate). Your son should see a physician if his pain persists or if it’s affecting his performance. While athletes of all ages suffer from irritation of soft issues around the shoulder, the young athlete uniquely suffers from growth plate problems. “Little League Shoulder” — a tear in the growth plate caused by hard repetitive throwing — can cause permanent damage if not diagnosed early. Coaches should monitor the number of pitches thrown per game, the number of games played per week and the type of pitches thrown. Fortunately, the vast majority of throwing injuries resolve with rest, ice, analgesics and physical therapy. For those that do not improve, surgical procedures can remedy the problem.
— Dr. Pat Stone, Center for Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society
Submit your health-related questions for a medical doctor to lwilson@timesfreepress.com.