Overhead athletes play a variety of sports, including baseball, lacrosse, football, volleyball and even tennis. These athletes require power and strength in their dominant extremity for overhead positions. However, it is important to also consider the lower extremities of these athletes in a strengthening program.
Shoulder injuries are the most common throwing-related injury.1 Baseball has emerged as the sport with the highest rate of shoulder injuries among overhead throwing sports.2 Pitchers suffer the majority of these baseball injuries.
In biomechanical terms, physical therapists look at the kinetic chain or rather how the body connects to itself and transfers energy from one segment to another. For overhead throwers, more than 50 percent of kinetic energy is transferred to the upper extremity from the legs and core.2 Any deficit in that kinetic chain is considered a “weak link” and these weak links are commonly found in the core, spine, hips or shoulder.
It is important to have coordinated movement between the lower and upper body to help prevent injury, including proper timing for muscle activation and coordination to safely transfer energy from the lower extremities. When this is not operating optimally, stress can develop on areas that are not used to accommodating these stresses.
Factors that can alter the kinetic chain:
Strong and properly functioning core, hips and legs are essential to overhead athletes. Exercises for these athletes should focus on linking the shoulder and lower extremity to facilitate the transfer of energy and power from the lower extremity to the upper extremity.3.In many adolescent and pre-adolescent athletes, the posterior musculature (gluteals, hamstrings) are underdeveloped and lack control with decreased activation during basic athletic movements.3
Tips to Strengthen Core and Lower Extremities3
If you are an overhead athlete looking to improve your performance, consider scheduling a Video Throwing Analysis at Athletico. Through this analysis, our team of physical therapists, occupational therapists, certified athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants combine their expertise with slow-motion video to refine an athlete’s mechanics. Click the link below to schedule an appointment today.
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