Sports Specific Care

Arm Care Assessment

An arm care program not only prepares the arm to throw but prepares the arm and body to endure the repetitive stress during the season, but to reduce arm fatigue and prevent injury. Fatigue is the enemy of throwers during season; A study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that pitchers who continued throwing while fatigued were 36 times more likely to sustain a serious shoulder or elbow injury.

Multiple studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of structured arm care programs:

Youth players (ages 8-11) who followed a consistent strengthening and stretching routine showed a 49.2% reduction in medial elbow injuries
Another study with players ages 9-11 revealed that 10 minutes of targeted exercises – including stretching, dynamic mobility, and balance training – reduced injury risk by 48.5%. The same study found that players who followed the program actually increased their throwing velocity.

PHASE 1

Athlete Performance Profile

What are your short term and long-term goals? (high school – college aspirations)
Where do you fall in the age-velocity spectrum?
What other positions do you play? Is it different in travel vs high school?
What is your current arm care program?
What is your current recovery program? How well do you recover?
What is your previous history of pain or discomfort in the arm?
Have you had previous injuries and how have they impacted your participation or performance?
Do you participate in other sports beside baseball?
What are you doing or not doing in the gym; weightlifting-training considerations?
What physical constraints do you have? Mobility, strength, or movement?
What are your throwing mechanics and disconnects?
What were your metrics for last season?

PHASE 2

Full Body Movement Screen

Next, we perform a full body movement screen during our Arm Care Assessment. A movement screen identifies what your physical constraints are. Physical constraints can be in mobility, strength or movement imbalance which will limit your peak performance. This assessment looks at the upper body, lower body, and spine as it relates to the throwing athlete. Even small changes in the body can have profound effect on how you move and ultimately how you perform. Mobility, especially in shoulder and hip is a commonly overlooked component to arm care.

By identifying and addressing flaws and weak links, we can help our athletes gain the competitive edge through a structured and individualized approach to off-season care.

Key Components:

Grip Strength: grip strength has a high correlation with elbow pain. Grip strength is compared to age related norms.
Shoulder mobility: Lack of shoulder mobility has detrimental effect on the throwing arm.
Poor shoulder strength significantly increases the risk of injury in baseball players, particularly in pitchers and other throwing positions.
- Poor internal rotation strength; ideally should be 25-30% of body weight
- Poor external rotation strength; ideally should be 15-20% of body weight
- We utilize the ArmCare App; a mobile application that assesses arm strength and mobility, then provides personalized arm care programs based on individual needs. It's designed to be used with a hand-held strength sensor, which measures arm strength and range of motion. The app analyzes this data to identify weak links and create customized training routines to improve arm health and throwing velocity. (insert picture)

Muscular imbalance: the strength ratio from external rotation (muscles in the back of the shoulder to the internal rotators (the muscles in the front of the shoulder) should be ratio of 2:3 for external/internal rotation strength.

Weakness in core and scapula can limit effective power transfer from the legs to the arm.
Poor hip mobility and strength can limit power production from the legs and increase stress on the arm.

How physical constraints lead to compensation, performance impairments, and pain

Issue

Poor Leg Strength

Weak Scapular Control

Limited T-Spine Mobility

Poor Serratus Activation

Lack of Core Stability

Compensation

Increased arm action

Shrugging shoulder, winging

Overusing lumbar spine

Scapular winging

Early arm acceleration

Results

Overuse, strain on elbow/shoulder

Loss of velocity, shoulder pain

Back pain, inefficient force transfer

Anterior shoulder stress

Elbow strain (UCL risk)

No amount of drills, coaching, or practice will correct underlying deficits in posture, mobility, or strength.

PHASE 3

Video Assessment

Slow motion video analysis during specific phases of pitching allows us identify good quality form, isolate disconnects in the arm and legs, and recommend where improvement is needed. Implication on velocity, pitch efficiency and risk of injury are discussed. Video assessment is a powerful tool to connect physical abilities to athletic abilities and performance.

From there Arm Action Drills are implemented; exercises and movements specifically designed to improve the movement and mechanics of the arm (and body) path during baseball or softball throwing. These drills focus on enhancing coordination, strength, control, and endurance of the muscles involved in proper arm path. These drills help to develop appropriate power from the legs as well as sequencing and timing needed for optimizing velocity. Targeted drills may include focus on acceleration patterns, deceleration of the arm, or back foot rotation. Proper technique, progression, and individualization are essential for returning to throwing.

Get Started Building a Healthier, More Explosive Pitching Arm

The Arm Care Assessment is more than just a checklist—it’s a comprehensive blueprint for long-term performance and durability. By starting with your individual goals and history, identifying movement patterns and physical constraints, and using video analysis to break down your throwing mechanics, we’re able to develop a PERSONALIZED PLAN that supports health, enhances velocity, and reduces injury risk.

Our goal is to empower you with the tools, knowledge, and structure to take ownership of your development and help you reach your goals. A well-rounded arm care program isn’t just about throwing more—it’s about throwing better, more efficiently, and for longer.

Whether you're trying to make the varsity team, earn a college scholarship, or simply stay on the field all season long—it starts with assessment, evolves with consistency, and leads to results.

Contact Athletic Edge & Wellness Physical Therapy for pain relief and wellness

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224.505.EDGE (3343)

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