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Keith J. Cronin, DPT, CSCS

Stretching Reduces Risk of Shoulder Injuries In Young Pitchers

A big difference between the forward range of motion of the throwing and non-throwing shoulder increases injury risk.  Here is a simple test to identify such difference and a stretching exercise to keep the shoulder balanced.

Achilles Tendinitis: Prevention Tips

Advice from a physical therapist on ways to reduce the risk of Achilles tendon injuries while increasing the strength, power, and dynamic capabilities of the foot and ankle.

Ankle Sprains: Reducing Risk of Posterior Tibialis Tendonitis

A very common, but often overlooked problem with lower leg injuries is that a secondary injury can occur, such as posterior tibialis tendonitis, a painful inflammation and injury along the lower inside part of the leg, ankle, and arch of the foot. 

Surgical Repair of Medial Meniscus Tears: Don't Walk Until Given Okay By Doctor

Tears to the medial meniscus require surgical repair, but the repaired meniscus can easily be torn with only small amounts of pressure, so allowing it to fully heal after surgery before walking is critical for a full recovery.

Softball Pitchers: Injury Prevention Strategies

As is true in most sports these days, softball pitchers are training - or over-training - more than ever, and more and more are playing the sports all year long without a break.  Softball teams may carry only a couple of pitchers, which sometimes results in a pitcher throwing over 1,000 pitches during a weekend tournament!  While there hasn't been an epidemic of rotator cuff injuries, other problems to the shoulder and elbow have surfaced with increased play.

Lower Back Pain in Female Athletes Is Not Normal

As with ACL injuries, female athletes are more prone than their male counterparts to small, hairline fractures of the lower (lumbar) spine, usually from  overtraining (e.g. overuse injuries) or improper loading of the spine.  Because such injuries can be misdiagnosed, it is important for coaches and parents to recognize the symptoms and seek appropriate medical treatment.

Too Many Curve Balls in Youth Baseball?

Youth baseball programs - Little League in particular -  have put new limits in place in recent years to reduce the number of pitches thrown per game, week, and for what team, prompting, indeed requiring, parents and coaches to get out "the clicker" to count pitches. With pitch limits in place, the attention seems to have turned to another important element in the pitching injury equation: the type of pitches being thrown.

Return to Play After ACL Surgery: How Parents Can Help

The period between the end of physical therapy and the start of sports-specific conditioning is a critical time frame for young athletes after an an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear or rupture, reconstructive surgery, and months of rehabilitation.

Injury Risk Is Product of Athlete's Age, Degree of Sport Specialization, Training Intensity

Sports injuries are the result of three factors: age, degree of sport specialization, and training intensity:

Strength and Conditioning for Youth Athletes: Good Lifting Technique Is Key

The purpose of lifting weights and resistance training in sports is simple: as a means to an end (improving performance), not as an end in itself (lifting more weight).  Understanding the basic benefits from good lifting technique and risks of poor sports training is critical to developing a purposeful and appropriate strength training program.
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