For Athletic Recovery & Performance

Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS | Algonquin Sports PT Overhead Throwing Expert-Athletic Edge and Wellness A Short History of Pitch Count Rules Before the mid-2000s, most youth leagues did not track pitch counts. Instead, pitching limits were based on innings pitched per week. For example, youth pitchers were commonly limited to six innings per week, regardless of how many pitches were thrown in those innings. In some cases, pitchers could throw well over 100 pitches in a single out

By Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS Sports Physical Therapist and Overhead Throwing Specialist Athletic Edge and Wellness -Algonquin Swimming is one of the most physically demanding sports, requiring a combination of endurance, strength, flexibility, and precise technique. Whether you're a competitive swimmer or training for fitness, your body is exposed to repetitive overhead motion, high shoulder loads, and continuous core engagement. Over time, even small imbalances can lead to p

Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS Algonquin Sports PT Overhead Expert-Athletic Edge and Wellness 🏐 Volleyball is a sport built on power, precision, and agility . Every serve, spike, and dive demands explosive movement and full-body coordination—especially from the shoulders, hips, and knees . To perform at your best and stay on the court all season, your body needs more than skill work. It needs strength, balance, mobility, and recovery . That’s where physical therapy for volleybal

Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS | Algonquin Sports PT Overhead Throwing Expert-Athletic Edge and Wellness Edge 💪 Shoulder pain in young baseball and softball players should never be dismissed as “just growing pains.” One of the most common overuse injuries in youth throwers is Little League Shoulder —a stress injury to the growth plate of the upper arm caused by repetitive throwing. This condition most commonly affects athletes ages 9–16 , when the growth plates are still developi

Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS | Algonquin Sports PT Overhead Throwing Expert-Athletic Edge and Wellness Youth baseball continues to grow in popularity, but with increased competition and year-round play comes a higher risk of overuse injuries. One of the most common elbow injuries in young throwing athletes is Little League Elbow . Little League Elbow is an overuse injury that affects the growth plate on the inside of the elbow in young athletes. It is most commonly seen in baseb

Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS | Algonquin Sports PT Overhead Throwing Expert-Athletic Edge and Wellness Rotator cuff injuries are one of the most common shoulder problems faced by baseball and softball players. These injuries can sideline athletes for weeks or even seasons if not properly understood and treated. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know: anatomy, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and sports medicine insights. What Is the Rotator

Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS | Algonquin Sports PT Overhead Throwing Expert-Athletic Edge and Wellness As the high school and spring baseball season approaches, athletes must take the necessary steps to ensure they are physically and mentally prepared for peak performance. Proper preparation helps reduce injury risk, improve throwing performance, and maintain durability throughout the season. Many baseball injuries occur early in the season when athletes ramp up too quickly afte

Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS | Algonquin Sports PT Overhead Throwing Expert-Athletic Edge and Wellness Biceps tendonitis is a common condition that affects overhead throwing athletes, particularly baseball and softball players. The repetitive, high-velocity motion of throwing places significant stress on the structures of the shoulder and elbow. Over time, this stress can lead to irritation and inflammation of the long head of the biceps tendon, a key stabilizer of the shoulder

By Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS Overhead Throwing Specialist Owner, Athletic Edge and Wellness Introduction The off-season phase presents a prime window to build athletic qualities, refine movement mechanics, and prepare for the upcoming competitive period. One often under-utilized tool in this phase is the medicine ball. In this blog we’ll explore why the medicine ball is a meaningful tool for off-season programming: the pros, the cons, key techniques, the research base, and pr

Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS Owner, Athletic Edge and Wellness Overhead Throwing Specialist 💪 Shoulder pain in young baseball and softball players should never be dismissed as “just growing pains.” One of the most common overuse injuries in youth throwers is Little League Shoulder  — an inflammation or stress injury to the growth plate of the upper arm bone caused by repetitive throwing. This condition is most often seen in athletes between ages 9 and 16 , when bones are still

By Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS Overhead Throwing Specialist Owner Athletic Edge and Wellness Shoulder mobility is crucial for all baseball and softball athletes, but especially for pitchers and outfielders  who work through extreme ranges of motion every throw. Good shoulder mobility allows for efficient movement, better performance, and reduced injury risk. Because the shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, it must maintain a delicate balance of mobility and stability

By: Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS Overhead Throwing Specialist Athletic Edge and Wellness Physical Therapy Whether you're coaching high-level competitors or guiding youth athletes through their early development, one thing is clear: movement matters. Strength, speed, and skill all depend on how well the body moves — and more importantly, how well it moves without compensation or risk of injury . That’s where a physical therapy movement screen  comes in. It’s more than just a chec

Off-Season PREP: A Game Plan for Baseball Athletes Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS Athletic Edge and Wellness - Overhead Throwing Expert Summer ball is done—but your baseball journey isn’t.  The off-season is a powerful time to recharge, assess, and come back stronger. Use our P.R.E.P. Method  to guide recovery, evaluation, and preparation for next season: P – Preview the Next Season R – Recover from the Grind E – Evaluate Your Performance P – Prepare for What’s Next 🧭 PREVIEW: Lo

By: Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, MHS PT Overhead Throwing Specialist Athletic Edge and Wellness As the high school and spring baseball and softball...

Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS Athletic Edge and Wellness It is no secret the incidence of Tommy John surgery continues to trend upwards and...

One of the most frequent questions I get asked by coaches and parents is: “What are your thoughts on weighted balls?” This blog article...

WHAT IS A MOVEMENT SCREEN? A movement screen is an assessment tool physical therapists and performance therapists use to look at movement...

PELVIS AND HIPS We can think of the pelvis and hip as the chassis and the tires of the car. The pelvis is the foundation and hips help to turn and control our car. Pelvic control is the foundation of all patterns within the body; the pelvis is the base to our tower. Developing the ability to control the pelvis should be a priority for efficient overhead motion. Pelvic stability should revolve around the rectus abdominus, obliques, and gluteal complex. This allows the lower

Our last blog discussed the importance to an end of season shoulder evaluation. Most of us understand how the arm must be mobile and...

In our first newsletter, we discussed the need for an end of season evaluation for our baseball players to address poor or compensatory...