Pitcher Safety Part II - Post Pitching Recovery

Similar to the controversy surrounding the use or over use of pitchers, the debate of whether pitchers should use ice after a start or not rages on in some circles. Many pitchers (including myself) just iced because it’s what we are supposed to do.  Many pitchers ice because they are afraid not to.  Some truly believe in the benefits and some will never know pitching without it.  On the other hand, many pitchers do not ice after starts.  Some pitchers don’t ice because they do not have access to it, some don’t like the way it makes their arms feel, and some don’t do it simply because they are lazy.  No matter what your personal belief on icing is, if a player requests ice, you should give it to them.   

I should again preface this by saying that I am not a doctor, athletic trainer, or physical therapist.  The findings I am reporting in this article are simply based on the research of others and are based on my reading and experiences as a player and a coach.

 
It is important to note that if the player has an acute injury to his arm such as getting hit by the baseball, a ligament sprain or muscle pull, they should be highly encouraged to ice.  It is true  that ice may be more effective for acute injuries such as those, and it may not be as effective for eccentric injuries (repetitive deceleration).   Understand that the type of injury that occurs after after pitching is a delayed onset muscle soreness, which is essentially micro-tears of the muscle.  This type of soreness usually peaks 24-48 hours after use and is characterized by stiffness of the muscle and joint.  

It makes sense that if stiffness is a problem, and ice causes constriction and stiffens the muscles and joints by constricting blood flow, it may not be the best modality to use after pitching.  There are several other options a pitcher has to decrease the amount of time that he is sore after and extended outing.  

1.) Proper warm-up prior to throwing (in order)

a.) Start with an activity that will get the heart rate up

b.) Dynamic stretching (most done at 10-20 yards)

i.) High Knees

ii.) Butt Kicks

iii.) Karaoke 

iv.) Lunge Twists

v.) Skip Series

vi.) Side shuffles

vi.) Jog to sprint series

c.) Warm-up your core

i.) Core twists

ii.) Twisting yoga poses

iii.) Med-Ball exercises

d.) Arm tubing

i.) Internal rotation

ii.) External rotation

iii.) Scap Squeeze

iv.) Iron Cross

2.) Refuel your body

a.) Eat something high in carbs and protein within 30 minutes of pitching

b.) Eat a balanced meal within 2 hours of pitching

3.) Next day stretching

a.) Shoulder girdle stretches prior to any activity

b.) Shoulder tubing prior to any activity

4.) Monitor post pitching practice and game activity

a.) Give your two-way players lighter throwing work loads in the two days after pitching

b.) Give a day off or game off if possible

c.) Try to avoid allowing pitchers to catch on a regular basis

Research shows that there are more (and possibly better) ways to recover from a start than to ice.  Encourage pitchers to experiment with their post throwing routines to find the one that works the best for them.  

References:

Yeager, D.W. (2011). An alternative to ice: A more comprehensive method to post pitching recovery.  Retrieved from www.baseballstrengthcoaching.com.

ASMI position statement on youth pitching. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.asmi.org/asmiweb/position_statement.htm.

Lyman S, Fleisig GS, Andrews JR, Osinski ED (2002).  Effect of pitch type, pitch count, and pitching mechanics on risk of elbow and shoulder pain in youth baseball pitchers. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 30, 463-468.