Ken Guzzardo, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS – Co-owner, 3 Dimensional Physical Therapy
                      Keith Scott, AT, CSCS – Owner, Impact Training, West Berlin, NJ
                      Ryan McDevitt, PT, DPT – Co-Owner, 3DPT West Berlin, NJ



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3dpt.com
High school spring sports season means the return of baseball, softball, lacrosse, and track (and usually still snow on the ground). Also, it means the first time that some athletes are practicing their sports since last year. The Journal of Athletic training published an article looking at the incidents of shoulder injuries by month of the high school season. 




This data tells us that injuries are happening most commonly during the first month of the season. This finding could be attributed to a couple of causes, including lack of preseason preparation or a deficit in regaining mobility after normal soreness when first returning to an exercise. Since the offseason preparation window has closed, let’s talk about how to manage soreness and tightness through stretches to avoid compensations that could lead to injury.

GOOD VERSUS BAD SORENESS
Getting back into the swing of practice will cause soreness. As muscles are broken down (scientifically speaking), it normal to have lactic acid produced and tightness for several days after the initial exercise. Soreness at a muscle is perfectly normal to have with returning to your sport. However, soreness at a joint may not be typical. Your Athletic Trainer has extensive training to identify normal muscle aches and pains compared to something worse that needs treatment. Please see them if there is anything that you are thinking is more than “normal” soreness.

5 RELEASES TO RESTORE MOBILITY
Muscle soreness and tightness after an exercise can alter movement. If you don’t loosen up properly, this altered movement could become more pronounced and, eventually, lead to an injury. 

Here is Keith Scott from Impact Training and Fitness and Ryan McDevitt from 3D, West Berlin with 5 releases to keep your arms moving as you return to spring sports.

Triceps
Overhead athletes, such as baseball or softball players, typically experience some soreness and tightness in the triceps area during the beginning of the season. While this kind of soreness and tightness can be expected and is usually not a serious problem, it is important to be proactive to keep this area pain-free and functioning optimally. Below is a quick video showing you how to use a lacrosse or tennis ball to perform some “self-massage” on the area. This exercise will help loosen and release some of the tightness and knots that can occur. 

Tips: Place the lacrosse or tennis ball on a firm surface (like a table, or bench) and place the back of your arm against the ball. Apply gentle pressure on the ball at first, while rolling the ball back and forth along the entire triceps muscle. Be careful not to “roll” the ball over any bony structures around the elbow. Slowly roll back and forth while gradually increasing the pressure. 

Once you find what we call the “hot spot” (an area that is a little more painful than the rest of the muscle), you should hold the position and try to apply some more pressure at that point. Roll and apply pressure for about 3 to 5 minutes. 

Finally, as you are rolling back and forth, it can help to extend and bend your arm back and forth. This will allow the muscle to move which will help with the soreness and muscle spasms. 

​Forearm
Another spot we find soreness and tightness at the beginning of the season is the forearm area. Even if the player doesn’t have any soreness here, it is a great area to work on because it can really help the player stay healthy and throw better. 

Tips: Place a ball against a firm surface such as a table or bench and roll the meaty part of the forearm up and down against the ball. Find those hot spots and hold up to 3 to 5 minutes. You can also take the ball in the opposite hand and apply pressure while your roll the ball up and down your arm. You should flex and extend your wrist while you roll to help loosen the muscle faster. Do both sides of the forearm while being careful not to roll over the boney areas.

Pec
Find a corner of a doorway or wall and place the ball against the wall. Place your body against the ball at your chest (pec) area. Walk your body through the doorway so you can apply pressure and a stretch to your pec area. Roll the ball up and down and around the small area of your pec, trying to keep the pressure around the outside of the pec where it attaches to the shoulder joint. Also, you can roll the entire pec muscle. Find the hot spots and hold. This release should be done for about 3-5 min. Really take your time finding the tight and sore areas. 

Mid back
Lay on your side (as shown) with your top knee flexed over the foam roller to lock out lumbar spine. Use your bottom hand to hold your bottom half stable. Breathe in as you move your top arm across your body and turn your head and shoulders with it, keeping your lower half firmly placed on the floor. Breathe out as you hold the stretch for around ten to fifteen seconds, then return to the start and repeat 10 times.

Stay tuned for releases and mobility for the legs. Have fun this spring!
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I have been a strength coach for over 20 years, but during that time, I also worked as a certified athletic trainer. I was the guy who took care of the injuries of ALL of the athletes in our program.

During that time my job was to treat, rehabilitate, and prevent injuries. It was also to recognize signs and symptoms of problems before they turned into significant injuries.

What I found out very quickly is that arm problems rarely just “pop up” out of nowhere. There are always signs and always symptoms. Always…
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Top 5 mistakes that Travel Baseball Players are making









1. Poor Nutrition – No real nutrition plan or no planning at all. Traveling all of those miles and playing constantly can have a huge toll on the player and his wellbeing. Eating the right way is essential…and it is one of the most commonly ignored aspects from most players and parents. It is however, the easiest to fix. Have a nutrition plan. Stopping at the local convenience store and letting your player get whatever he wants is not a plan and it is a poor way to go about refueling. I am always amazed when parents tell me that their son barely eats on the road and they wonder why he is run down, sick, and losing weight. Nutrition is so important and really needs to be a top priority with parents and players. I have helped and watched players turn their game around completely for the better just by fixing their nutrition.

2. No Recovery Plan – game after game…practice after practice…long car rides…long fights, etc… The body can only take so much. Without a recovery plan,.... 

 
The job of a personal trainer or coach is an interesting one. A full time trainer trains people all day long and watches their clients lose pounds and inches, while others get stronger and pack on muscle from adhering to your guidance and training wisdom. 

You write programs, trouble shoot plateaus come up with solutions to injuries, and a dozen other things that will keep your client happy and healthy.
I have been working with athletes and normal folk for well over 20 years and I have witnessed just about everything, from blown knees, fractures, food poisoning, sore muscles, surgery, etc…

I have become pretty good at helping my athletes and clients get past their issues and find a way to continue on their journey.
What no one prepares trainers for, however, is how to deal with life issues that go way beyond the physical. 

​Over the last three months, ​....

 


A lot of well meaning people fail when they get uncomfortable. 

Pain sets in, people start to feel like they just can’t go on anymore and the next thing you know, quitting seems like the only option. 

Difficult training programs or workouts can make cowards out of us all. Only the truly “tough” people seem to survive and get better. The “weak” surrender to the pain, discomfort and ultimately the fear.
One of the best things you can do when training or working out is to teach yourself how to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

As strange as that sounds, it is the key to reaching your goals and improving. A lot of people stop or quit when they start to feel uncomfortable, and while even some effort will yield results, real results, and real breakthroughs can only happen when you finally bust down the door of pain and discomfort and move to a new level.

​The hard part about all of this is...