Young athletes, especially pitchers, are susceptible to “little league elbow,” which describes a variety of elbow problems caused by throwing.

When an athlete throws a ball, the final release involves a powerful downward motion of the wrist and fingers. The forearm muscles that power the final release attach along the inner side of the elbow. These muscles transmit the force involved in the throwing motion to the elbow.

Younger players are more prone to develop problems related to throwing because these muscles attach in the area of a bone growth center. This attachment is not as strong in children and therefore they have a greater chance of tearing the muscle off the bone.

If little league elbow is allowed to progress, the muscle may eventually be completely torn from its bony attachment. This also may cause damage to the bone’s growth center and can affect future bone growth in this area.

Symptoms
The most common symptom of little league elbow is pain. Usually, the pain begins slowly and gradually gets worse over a two- or three-day period. The pain is usually most severe over the inside of the elbow, but may occur over the outside as well. Stiffness and swelling is often associated with this condition.

The Importance of Early Recognition
Early recognition of elbow pain in a young player is key to preventing this injury. When pain occurs, a player should stop throwing immediately and see his or her physician. The doctor may order an X-ray to check for damage to the bone’s growth center.

If caught early, most cases of little league elbow are cured with rest, but they often require six to eight weeks of inactivity. Returning to play too early may re-aggravate the injury. If not caught early, or in some more serious cases, little league elbow may require surgery.

Prevention
To prevent elbow problems, young pitchers must be taught good throwing mechanics. Proper pre-game warm-up is also very important. Pitchers between the ages of 9 and 14 should not pitch more than six innings per week and should also be discouraged from throwing breaking pitches.

Coaches should be extra careful to look for evidence of sore elbows in their pitchers. Players should also be encouraged to report elbow pain immediately.

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