Baseball and softball players—from beginners to collegiate athletes—may experience acute injuries or overuse injuries due to repetitive movements. Injuries to the upper extremities, such as the shoulder and elbow, are most common from throwing or catching the ball. Players may also injure their knees or ankles while running or sliding into bases. These types of injuries may or may not require surgery, and the specialized physical therapists of Memorial Hermann | Rockets Orthopedics team up with affiliated orthopedic surgeons, patients, parents and athletic trainers to develop a plan of care that allows the athlete to return to sports as quickly and safely as possible.
Taking a multidisciplinary approach, our team relies heavily on the latest research, some of which they have conducted at Memorial Hermann, to assess and treat the following conditions and injuries:
- Ulnar cruciate ligament (UCL) injury of the elbow
- Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD)
- Bursitis of the shoulder
- Shoulder instability
- Shoulder impingement
- Growth plate damage
- Superior labrum anterior and posterior (SLAP) or labral tears
- Avulsion injuries involving the muscle, tendons or ligaments
- Rotator cuff tears or tendinitis
- Adverse neural tension (ANT)
- Fractures
- Concussions from ball or player impact
- Biceps tendinitis
Memorial Hermann | Rocket Orthopedics offers Advanced Interdisciplinary Programs for injuries and conditions affecting the upper extremities and knees, along with the spine, hip and other joints. Baseball and softball players benefit from an evidence-based approach to drive treatment decisions and optimize outcomes.
What to Expect
You may choose to make an appointment with one of our affiliated orthopedic surgeons or directly with a physical therapist with Memorial Hermann | Rockets Orthopedics, as permitted through Texas’ direct access provision.
Your initial evaluation will involve imaging to determine what structures have been injured or compromised. Our specialized physical therapists will also take measurements to evaluate your functionality, strength, range of motion, power and flexibility. They will evaluate your kinetic chain, assessing movement and mechanics related to your hips, core and shoulders. You will also be surveyed about your injury and performance goals to help understand the perceived impact of this injury on your regular activities and on your athletic performance.
Data collected will be compared with that from external clinical studies and from Memorial Hermann | Rockets Orthopedics’ data to create a treatment plan to return you to your sport in a timeframe that is safe, effective and minimizes the risk of re-injury. The treatment plan will be reviewed by Memorial Hermann-affiliated orthopedic surgeons or sports medicine physicians and presented to you for discussion.
Your plan may include any of the following:
- Rest
- Immobilization
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Surgery
- Interval throwing and hitting program
- Specialized flat-ground program and mound program
It's important to note that direct access to our program has a mandated length of time and any extended treatment will require an order from a physician. If an injury requires a higher level of care, we will refer patients to an affiliated orthopedic specialist.
Preventing Injuries
Utilizing injury and recovery data collected by Memorial Hermann | Rockets Orthopedics and established research on baseball and softball players at the collegiate level, our research team has uncovered the most common causes of baseball- and softball-related injuries. From that data, Memorial Hermann | Rockets Orthopedics’ multidisciplinary team has determined the most effective strengthening exercises and kinetic chain mechanics to return these athletes back to the field as quickly as possible and to reduce the risk for injuries in the first place.
Memorial Hermann | Rockets Orthopedics is advancing rehabilitation for sports injuries. To schedule an appointment, call (713) 242-2270.