Any sport involving throwing can leave you vulnerable to overuse injuries, especially in your shoulder. Most people aren’t ambidextrous, so you strongly favor one arm over the other. By repeatedly throwing with that arm as a pitcher, you’re at risk of experiencing chronic shoulder pain and various injuries from overuse in your dominant arm and shoulder.
The good news? Shoulder injuries aren’t a guarantee, even if you’re a pitcher. By performing specific daily stretches for pitchers, you can reduce your injury risk and perform at your peak capacity.
Stretching keeps your muscles flexible and helps maintain your joints’ range of motion. While stretching is essential for athletes, daily warmups can benefit anyone who wants to maintain healthy, functional, and pain-free joints.
Because your shoulders are your body’s most complex joints, you want to keep them in tip-top shape. As a pitcher, you should integrate specific shoulder stretches into your daily warmup routine. At Elation Physical Therapy in Houston, Pearland, and Katy, Texas, our team of physical therapy and rehabilitation experts are here to ensure you perform these stretches correctly to prevent shoulder injuries in baseball.
To get you started on stretching properly, here’s a brief overview of important daily stretches every pitcher should do:
Shoulder circles, or arm rotations, are exactly what they sound like. As a ball-and-socket joint, your shoulder has a wide range of motion. Making circular motions with your arms is an easy way to loosen up your shoulder’s tendons and ligaments in preparation for the exercises that come next. This is a safe and simple exercise for pitchers of all ages, including children who play softball or baseball.
No, you’re not going to climb up the wall like a spider. Instead, a wall climb involves standing with your chest against the wall. Start by placing your hands on the wall at shoulder height. You then “walk” your fingers up the wall until your arms and shoulders are extended, stepping closer to the wall if you weren’t already against it. You may stop when you feel tension in your shoulders, then hold that position to stretch them. After 10-30 seconds, slowly “walk” your fingers back down the wall to your original position.
This stretch also uses a wall for support. Place your hand against a wall or doorframe while standing with your arm extended. Alternatively, you can perform this stretch with a partner by placing your hands together.
With your palm facing forward and your shoulder relaxed, slowly turn your body away from the doorframe until you feel tension in your shoulder and pectoral muscle. You may then hold that position for 10-30 seconds to stretch the muscles in your shoulder and chest before rotating back into your starting position. You should repeat this exercise on both sides.
The cross-body stretch is great for pitchers and can help you avoid tightness in the shoulder of your pitching arm. You simply grab your elbow with your opposite hand and pull your arm across your chest until you feel the tension in the shoulder of the grabbed arm. Hold the stretch for around 20 seconds, then repeat it on the other side.
Stretching properly helps you avoid joint pain, strains, and injuries while pitching in baseball. By performing these stretches daily, you can reduce your risk for injuries and costly treatments such as rotator cuff repairs.
Here are a few helpful tips for stretching:
Need additional guidance? Our team at Elation Physical Therapy can give you professional tips and tricks for effective stretching. To learn more about daily stretches for pitchers, call your nearest Elation Physical Therapy or book an appointment online.
