Treatment of Little Leaguer’s Elbow

What is Little Leaguer’s Elbow?

• It is an over-use injury.
• Little Leaguers' elbow has come to encompass all of the stress changes involved in youth pitching. It is the syndrome of overuse injuries involving the flexor tendons of the wrist as they originate at the elbow and the triceps as they insert at the elbow.
• It is related to the repeated trauma of pitching, and this stress is greatly increased by throwing curve balls and other breaking pitches, which require more forceful pronation of the wrist.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of Little Leaguers' elbow include pain and tenderness at the bony prominence on the inside and back of the elbow.
• Pain increases with forceful throwing or gripping.
• It is important to recognize this condition early, since adequate rest from repeated stresses may allow resolution of the problems.

Surgery

• 90-95% of patients respond to conservative measures and do not require surgical intervention
• Many different techniques described
• Release of tendon from lateral epicondyle (elbow attachment)

Treatment

• Rest the affected arm until the pain subsides.
• Physical therapy
• Loose body -- Arthroscopic surgery may be necessary
• Fracture -- splint or surgery
• Incidences decreased and prevented by attention to flexibility, length of time a player throws, and correcting the throwing technique.
• Limit pitching to 6 innings per week with 3 to 4 days of rest between baseball games
  
  

Please note that the information contained herein is for general medical information only.
If you have any specific medical condition or queries, please consult your medical doctor.

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________