Throwing a baseball may never cause any pain or discomfort for some players, while others, especially hard-throwing pitchers, can end up with serious pain in their elbows and forearms. Thrower's elbow, though less common than tennis elbow, can be much more serious. Anyone with symptoms such as forearm pain and tenderness or weakness in the elbow joint may have thrower's elbow or some other condition that causes pain in their throwing arms.
Causes of Thrower's Elbow
Overuse of your throwing arm is the primary cause of the condition known as thrower's elbow. The result of hard throwing is that the muscles and ligaments on the medial or inside of the forearm stretch and strain, while the structures on the lateral or outside of the forearm start to compress. Severe ligament strain on the medial side can result if the condition is left untreated, while microfractures can occur on the lateral side of the forearm.
Proper Technique
Proper throwing technique can help prevent forearm strain, just as bad habits can lead to more significant strains on the structure of the elbow and major medical complications. If you're serious about becoming a pitcher, work with a coach to develop a safe but effective delivery. Warming up with about 10 or 15 minutes of light activity can help you maintain muscle and tendon strength.
Treatment
Thrower's elbow and most throwing-related arm problems are treatable, but you should consult with a doctor before trying any treatments on your own or before you set out to throw hard again without knowing the nature of your problem. Because the source of forearm pain is often soft tissue, such as ligaments or muscle, a standard initial treatment plan of rest, ice, compression, elevation or RICE, is recommended.
Serious Treatment Options
If you don't respond well to the RICE approach, more serious interventions are available. For example, a surgical technique know as elbow arthroscopy, can help with several conditions, such as ulnar neuritis, valgus extension overload and flexor pronator strain. Recovery and rehabilitation from surgery focuses on a gradual progression of function of the elbow and arm, with the goal of getting the athlete back to the level of performance he enjoyed before the forearm troubles.
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