Playing Through Arm, Shoulder Pain Not a Good Idea

News sources reported that many coaches, athletes and healthcare experts believe that playing through pain in the shoulders and arms and just “sucking it up” isn’t the best advice, especially for younger players.

Orthopedist Dr. Daniel Heaston stated, “Anybody this is involved in a throwing sport is at risk for shoulder an elbow injury. A lot of that has to do with the force it takes to get velocity to throw is the same force it takes to pull on ligaments, tendons and bones and cause injury. Most of the patients that have overuse injuries in college started having pain when they were in high school. Mostly nowadays, coaches and families are more aware of pitching and throwing limitations. We don’t see as advanced injuries as we have in the past.”

Many coaches have taken it upon themselves to prevent shoulder and arm injuries in their players by working up strength in those areas and limiting the amount of time that any given player can spend doing one thing, to prevent overuse and repetitive action injuries. There have also been great strides taken by coaches and parents to make everyone understand that not addressing pain in these areas can result in permanent damage for the player.

As a Santa Monica shoulder pain doctor, I know the injuries that are possible in any throwing sport and encourage players to listen to their bodies and address pain as soon as they feel it. If you suffer from chronic pain in the shoulders and arms, it could be worth your while to contact a Santa Monica arm pain doctor.

Tags: arm pain, arm pain doctor, chronic pain, pain management, Santa Monica, Santa Monica arm pain doctor, Santa Monica shoulder pain doctor, shoulder pain, shoulder pain doctor, sports medicine, throwing injury