Does Distance Running Decrease Lactic Acid in Your Pitching Arm?

This is a question that I've had a few people ask me about recently so I decided to make a quick post on the subject.

If you've played baseball/softball long enough, you've almost certainly had (or heard) a coach/parent say that the pitchers need to go on a long distance run after throwing. Why? The reason (if they have one) is to "flush the lactic acid" from the throwing arm.

Is this correct, or is it a waste of valuable time that could be used to make these pitchers better?

Why Are Some Pitchers Able To Avoid Tommy John Surgery Longer?

With what seems like an increase in Tommy John surgeries the past few years, I've had people ask me why it seems that some pitchers are able to avoid the surgery longer into their pitching career. There are a multitude of things that can decrease the risk/odds of tearing the UCL in the pitching arm. I will try to hit on a few of the major ones in this post.

Short Post on Pitching Mechanics

Hey all! Just wanted to make a quick post on pitching mechanics. We recently had a kid come into the clinic with elbow pain. After examining the elbow, we came to the conclusion that he likely had an Ulnar Collateral Ligament tear (Tommy John). I found a picture from a few months prior of the same kid simulating his throwing mechanics in the clinic.

Click to continue reading....

The Importance of Corrective Breathing

I wanted to make a quick post on corrective breathing strategies and why they are important. These play a big role in athletes and the general public. Being able to properly utilize your diaphragm can play a big role in reducing or preventing many common symptoms, including hip and back pain.

The Tommy John .... Dilema?

Earlier last week, one of the top young pitchers in baseball, Jose Fernandez, had an MRI that revealed damage to his Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL). Shortly after, sports writers/analysts/etc. across the country began searching for the reason why there seems to be a rise in UCL reconstruction surgeries (Tommy John Surgery). Many of these people even seemed somewhat angry that MLB teams "don't do more to protect their pitchers' elbows."

I'm suggesting that they shouldn't be blaming the MLB organizations, but maybe the parents/coaches of those MLB pitchers when they were ages 5-18.

Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins

Thought for the Day: Treating Pain

This is just a quick thought to ponder. I may eventually do a short blog post on this subject but for now, just two sentences:

Don't just treat an individual for pain. Also correct any dysfunctions as a form of preventative medicine to lower risk for future injury.

Bullets from Eric Schoenberg, Eric Cressey, and Matt Blake: Part 3

About a month or two ago, Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) hosted a baseball training mentorship at his facility in Massachusetts. He had a few guest speakers there, including Eric Schoenberg and Matt Blake (@Blake_Matt). They were "live tweeting" during the event, trying to share some info on Twitter with their followers. If you already follow these two, then you may have seen this information before. If you haven't (and even if you have), I suggest you click to read more as I will post a few of the bits I found good for parents/coaches/etc.

While the purpose of this mentorship may have been geared toward baseball players, A LOT of the information they shared can be applied to athletes of many different sports.

There is a lot of information here, so I'm breaking this up into three parts. Part One will be quotes from Eric Schoenberg. Part Two from Eric Cressey. Part Three from Matt Blake.

Finally getting around to posting the Third and final part of these bullets. Click to read on.

Bullets from Eric Schoenberg, Eric Cressey, and Matt Blake: Part 2

About a month or two ago, Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) hosted a baseball training mentorship at his facility in Massachusetts. He had a few guest speakers there, including Eric Schoenberg and Matt Blake (@Blake_Matt). They were "live tweeting" during the event, trying to share some info on Twitter with their followers. If you already follow these two, then you may have seen this information before. If you haven't (and even if you have), I suggest you click to read more as I will post a few of the bits I found good for parents/coaches/etc.

While the purpose of this mentorship may have been geared toward baseball players, A LOT of the information they shared can be applied to athletes of many different sports.

There is a lot of information here, so I'm breaking this up into three parts. Part One will be quotes from Eric Schoenberg. Part Two from Eric Cressey. Part Three from Matt Blake.

Bullets from Eric Schoenberg, Eric Cressey, and Matt Blake: Part 1

About a month or two ago, Eric Cressey (@EricCressey) hosted a baseball training mentorship at his facility in Massachusetts. He had a few guest speakers there, including Eric Schoenberg and Matt Blake (@Blake_Matt). They were "live tweeting" during the event, trying to share some info on Twitter with their followers. If you already follow these two, then you may have seen this information before. If you haven't (and even if you have), I suggest you click to read more as I will post a few of the bits I found good for parents/coaches/etc.

While the purpose of this mentorship may have been geared toward baseball players, A LOT of the information they shared can be applied to athletes of many different sports.

There is a lot of information here, so I'm breaking this up into three parts. Part One will be quotes from Eric Schoenberg. Part Two from Eric Cressey. Part Three from Matt Blake. 

Don't Rush Into Big Lifts

Long-time, no-post.

I've been wanting to make this blog post for a while but haven't had a lot of time available. I see this a lot in young athletes that come into the clinic to workout and even some in the adult population that want to return to exercising/working out regularly.

Are you or your kids beginning "big" lifts before you (they) are ready? Read on for more info.