Sports · Trenton, MI
Throwing Injuries
Physical therapy for throwing injuries at Total Body Rehab — evaluation-driven, one-on-one care in Trenton, serving all of Downriver.
A pitched baseball puts more stress on the elbow and shoulder than almost any human movement. Youth and adult throwers alike develop rotator cuff overload, labral irritation, and inner-elbow (UCL) stress — usually from workload outpacing recovery.
Throwing injuries are workload injuries. Treating the tissue without addressing pitch counts, mechanics, and recovery is a temporary fix — so we address all of it.
Common signs & symptoms
- Inner elbow pain during or after throwing
- Shoulder pain at late cocking or ball release
- Velocity or control loss before pain appears
- Forearm tightness after outings
- 'Dead arm' that lingers between appearances
How physical therapy helps
Rehab restores arm strength and whole-chain mechanics — hips, trunk, and scapula drive a throw, and deficits there overload the arm. We rebuild eccentric deceleration capacity, then progress through a structured interval throwing program with monitored workload. Young throwers get age-appropriate volume guidance that protects growing elbows.
Treatments we use
- Arm-care strengthening
- Kinetic-chain mechanics work
- Interval throwing programs
- Workload monitoring
- Youth arm-care education
Frequently asked questions
Is my son's elbow pain just soreness?
Inner-elbow pain in a young thrower is never dismissible — growth plates are involved and early intervention prevents serious injury. Shut down throwing and get it evaluated; the season matters less than the arm.
Can PT prevent Tommy John surgery?
For UCL stress caught early, workload correction plus strengthening often resolves it. Established full tears are a surgical conversation — but the epidemic is largely preventable, and prevention is what arm care is for.
What's an interval throwing program?
A graduated return: distance and intensity increase in defined stages with recovery built in, advancing only when the arm responds well. It's the standard of care for returning throwers.
This page is general education, not a diagnosis. For advice about your specific situation, schedule an evaluation or talk with your physician.