Shoulder pain in teenage athletes
Shoulder problem has become a common problem in teen and preteen athletes. Especially with sport specialization where a young athlete plays the same sport year round. Although this can improve a players skill level, it comes with the risk of over training and developing repetitive strain problems. One of the more common injuries we see from overuse is in the shoulder. This problem isn’t just with baseball/softball. We see it with Ice and Field hockey, Lacrosse and weight training. The good news is that if dealt with early, a full recovery is often achieved. If left untreated, sometimes not only will the problem worsen, but other problems can arise as the athlete tries to compensate for the dysfunction.
Finding the Problem
The trick is finding out what the problem is. You can have 5 teenage athletes who all present with the same symptoms but they each have a different underlying cause. They can all have the same diagnosis such as shoulder impingement or tendonitis. Naming the problem doesn’t always tell you how you got there. That is why cookie cutter programs for shoulder pain don’t always work. A shoulder strengthening program isn’t going to fix the problem if the cause is lack of scapular mobility. Usually, it’s a combination of problems that have to be addressed. Masking the pain with medications can possibly make it worse as it allows the athlete to continue to play without correcting the cause.
If your child has shoulder pain and you’d like to see if we can help, we offer a free consult to see if they might be a candidate for our approach. Just click the get started button below to request a consult. (We work on adults too so if you have a problem feel free to request one for yourself)
