Baseball Rotator Cuff Exercises

The rotator cuff is composed of the muscles and tendons in the shoulder which are responsible for connecting the shoulder blade and upper arm bone which keeps the ball of your upper arm bone in the shoulder socket. Although the rotator cuff muscle is important in everyday mobility but it is doubly important to athletes — Especially baseball players. Baseball is the one sport in which the arms and shoulders are used more than any other part of the body.

Baseball pitchers are at a greater risk of rotator cuff injuries than any other player on the team because a pitcher can throw a ball at up to 100 miles per hour. Imagine the strength that takes! When a pitcher throws a ball, the arm and shoulder is externally rotated and abducted which puts a large strain on the rotator cuff. The repetitive motion of pitching has been broken down into five different stages: the wind-up, early cocking, late cocking, acceleration, and follow through.

During the wind-up stage the rotator cuff muscles are inactive. The early cocking stage involves external shoulder rotation and it isn’t until the late cocking stage that the rotator cuff muscles actually come into play. It is at this stage that they are very active, contracting and acting as a stabilizer. The fourth stage, acceleration, involves the internal rotation of the humerus, ending with the release of the ball. It isn’t until the final stage, follow through that the rotator cuff muscles are the most active. This is the stage where most of the injuries occur because the muscles are working to decelerate the internal rotation of the shoulder and arm.

Many baseball players participate in activities that will help to prevent rotator cuff injuries. Four activities that all baseball players should do prior to playing ball that will prevent rotator cuff injuries are…

• Warm – Up: Proper stretching before playing is the best way to prevent injuries. One of the best stretches to do is the capsular stretch. This involves gently pulling forward on your left elbow with your right hand until you can feel the stretch in your shoulder. Hold this pose for 10 seconds then repeat three times alternating between arms. Stretching exercises should be included as part of a routine warm up before a pitcher begins playing ball. A short jog or run can also help get the body ready for play.

• Rest: This may seem counterproductive but it is important for a baseball player to have a pitch count and once that number is reached, the pitcher should take the time to rest. Even the smallest throw exerts the muscles in the shoulder and over time will lead to serious injury.

• Use your lower body: In addition to activities that increase your arm and shoulder flexibility, it is important to engage in core strengthening because the abdominal muscles are also very useful when throwing a baseball. Some exercises that can be done to strengthen the core are squats, crunches, and lunges.

• Find an Active Release Provider: An active release provider is a system of manual therapy that treats an injured muscle via range of motion actions. This is the number one method of eliminating scar tissue.

If as athlete takes the time to properly care for their body they can prevent many serious rotator cuff injuries which will ensure them a long and prosperous career in baseball.