Glenohumeral internal rotation deficit, or GIRD, is a cause of shoulder pain in overhead athletes. It’s most often seen in baseball pitchers, but tennis players and other throwing athletes can have it too.
If you or your young athlete has GIRD, he or she will often complain of vague shoulder pain with overhead activity. Throwers might notice decreased control or velocity on their throws. Rarely they notice a loss of shoulder motion.
When the doctor examines the painful shoulder, he will assess shoulder motion, especially internal and external rotation. Throwers often have increased external rotation but decreased internal rotation compared to the nondominant shoulder. A significant loss of internal rotation, though, suggests GIRD.
In this video, I discuss this common cause of shoulder pain in overhead athletes, the diagnosis and treatment options so you or your child can return to play.
Also read:
Internal impingement of the shoulder
Tips for young overhead athletes battling shoulder pain
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