Scapular Dyskinesis
Stretching: The Truth
I'm planning on a series of articles to update our readers on some of the current concepts in pitcher related injuries and diagnoses that most fans have not heard much about.
We've all had our fill of reading about pitchers with rotator cuff and glenoid labrum tears. There are some interesting trends in sportsmedicine that have lead to changes in exercise programs throughout the majors and minors in an attempt to protect pitchers from a cascade of preventable injuries most fans don't know about.
Diagnoses such as:
•GIRD: (Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit...not to be confused with the stomach malady also known as GERD which Cubs fans get from watching too many losses). Pitching (both cocking phase and deceleration phase) leading to a tight or thickened posterior shoulder capsular ligament plus a loose anterior capsule and loss of internal rotation of the shoulder. Extra external rotation of the shoulder develops at the expense of internal rotation.
•Scapular Dyskinesia: Shoulder blade weakness with altered kinematics.
•Internal Impingement: Thought to be related to posterior shoulder contracture from GIRD with subsequent instability of the shoulder as the humeral head (ball of the shoulder joint) which shifts back/posteriorly and upward/superiorly). This is a different entity from subacromial or rotator cuff impingement which is more common and typically occurs from friction outside the shoulder joint.
...and finally connecting the dots, sorting out how the the injured or weakened shoulder (scapula) leads to severe strain on the elbow and tearing of the Ulnar Collateral Ligament (aka the Tommy John injury).
My attention to this topic started last summer, when I heard a remarkable interview on XM radio with renown Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Craig D. Morgan with hosts Jim Memolo and Rob Dibble. The focus of the interview was Stephen Strasburg's shoulder tightness and the subsequent ulnar collateral ligament elbow injury that lead to "Tommy John" reconstruction of that ligament last summer. Dr. Morgan said that he had predicted elbow problems in Strasburg by watching the way he held his shoulder.
More on how the arm bone is connected to the...after the jump.
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crunch (view)
bleh.
at least MIL has lost the past 2 nights, too.
crunch (view)
madrigal pinch hitting for matt mervis vs jansen?
okay.
crunch (view)
surprising amount of cubs fans at the park, too. HR really brought them out.
Cubster (view)
hmmmm...
4-4
beisbol can be fun
crunch (view)
4 singles and 0 walks (1 HBP) through 7 innings for cubs batters...amazing they even have 1 run.
crunch (view)
nico gets his 5th error on the year...damn.
Childersb3 (view)
Folks, I've known Richard Lovelady since he was an 18 yr old Freshman at East Ga State College in Swainsboro, Ga.
I was the WBB Coach at EGSC and Richard was their prize recruit from outside of Hinesville, Ga.
My roommate was the Pitching Coach there.
Richard showed up a skinny, loose lipped, 83mph Lefty. Pretty good basketball player actually.
My roommate became the head coach.
Richard came back from a minor injury for his Sophmore year a more serious man. He hit 90mph and started mowing GA JUCO hitters down. It was really fun to watch.
He was the first D1 signee for EGSC baseball (school had only had athletics for five yrs at that point). He went to Kennesaw St and became their closer. One yr later, he hit 100mph and KC drafted him in the 10th Rd.
He lost the high velo with a surgery a while back.
It's so cool to see him in MLB. And now he's a Cub!! It's crazy to realize I actually "know" a Cub.
He's a legit good guy.
Easy to root for!!!
Cubster (view)
Tim. Thanks for remembering Lee Elia Day. It will always be one of the most epic rants in all sports. It took about 3 seconds to recognize him from your picture but I did get it right.
Now that Les Grobstein is no longer with us, that might contribute to this grand piece of Cubbery fading.
Just like fine wine, it should be savored...unedited. 40 years, wow.
Dolorous Jon Lester (view)
Does he have any options left, Phil?
crunch (view)
morel in the lineup and playing 3rd.