Sports injuries

Recently I had the opportunity to give a talk to a group of young baseball athletes about injuries in that sport, it was a great experience and I would like to share it here. The issue of injuries to baseball players is a constant concern that is always present within the technical and managerial staff of a baseball team. Prevention is our main help in these cases. Why? First, each team must have a medical record or control of each player prior to the start of pre-season training. This is at any level, be it amateur or professional, This should consist of general medical examinations and results of each athlete, for example ophthalmological, dental, cardiac, glycemia (blood sugar levels) and cholesterol (blood fat level).

In the game

In some occasions we are presented with situations of game, where our players suffer some muscular injury or small pain, due to contusions with other players, balls or collisions with fences, etc.. We should always have with us the trainers or physical therapists, who work with the teams. They are the specialists in their area and are responsible for the physical health of the players, but most importantly, they must always keep the manager and pitcheo coach informed of the physical condition of the players and pitchers. During the baseball season there is a certain amount of injuries, which, if treated properly and on time, are quickly eliminated. There is an invariable rule that must be followed when these appear. If the injury is of a minor nature and the training, coach or manager is qualified to treat it, he must do so and if not, send the injured person to a specialist doctor.

Most common injuries

Here I describe different types of injuries and the correct way to treat them: ***Muscle aches***- Improve your physical conditioning, start the work from minor to major and increase it as your body feels able to do it more intensely. It is advisable to rest, heat treatments and massages, as the case may be. The player should take the heat treatment and massages methodically, but never without stopping training, although decreasing the intensity of the work, while the muscular pains last. ***Pain in the throwing arm*** - Rest is the best medicine, accompanied by heat treatments in any form: diathermy, warm cloths, massages, etc., keeping the treatment until the pain disappears completely. The rest should only be from the throwing arm, because any attempt to work for the arm will aggravate the injury. Bursitis, rotor muscle and shoulder injuries, as well as elbow pain (Tommy John injury), should be treated by a specialist doctor, as they are serious injuries, cause a lot of pain, are of special care and in the end always end up in surgical processes.

Dr. Leopoldo Maizo - Orthopedic Surgeon