Sports medicine stats: Elbow pain in youth baseball players
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
Studies have shown that the incidence of elbow pain in youth baseball players is between 20% and 30% for 8- to 12-year-olds, approximately 45% for 13- to 14-year-olds, and over 50% for high school, college, and professional athletes. Whether this is due to pitch counts being inadequate, not being enforced, not the cause, or to an increase in diagnosis, is hard to determine. A cross-sectional study of 754 pitchers, 9-18 years old, reported that 45% of the pitchers had no pitch count in place and over 13% pitched more than the recommended 8 months in a 1-year period.
Source: American Journal of Sports Medicine, January 2016
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
Studies have shown that the incidence of elbow pain in youth baseball players is between 20% and 30% for 8- to 12-year-olds, approximately 45% for 13- to 14-year-olds, and over 50% for high school, college, and professional athletes. Whether this is due to pitch counts being inadequate, not being enforced, not the cause, or to an increase in diagnosis, is hard to determine. A cross-sectional study of 754 pitchers, 9-18 years old, reported that 45% of the pitchers had no pitch count in place and over 13% pitched more than the recommended 8 months in a 1-year period.