Active Recovery
Helping Prevent Arm Pain During the Season
July 22, 2017
(Click here for a .pdf of this newsletter)
The month of July sees three things occur
- An increase in games played
- A decrease in team practices
- A spike in instances of arm pain (in terms of what I see in my office)
Is this a concidence? NO.
This increased game schedule decreases player activity off the field, namely their activity between games.
Doing less between games INCREASES arm problems!
As a result, it's crucial to understand the need for Active Recovery between games.
What is Active Recovery?
A very popular training method for runners:
In 2004 I saw a friend of mine, the day after running the Chicago marathon, run for 20 minutes on the treadmill. When I asked him why, he said "I need to get blood to my muscles to help with recovery."
Increasing blood flow increases BOTH nutrient delivery AND waste removal to the affected area.
For pitchers, this means
- Clearning out lactic acid
- Repairing the micro-tears in the muscles / ligaments / tendons
that occur from pitching/throwing in games.
How Does a Pitcher Participate In Active Recovery?
Active Recovery for pitchers means throwing MORE between games, not less. In addition to throwing, other ways to increase blood flow include
-Weighted jump rope
-Medicine ball deceleration training
Information on weighted jump rope and medicine ball training is in my video library (click here to learn more).
How do I know Active Recovery works? The most frequent comment I get from pitching students who do Active Recovery between games is "My arm doesn't hurt anymore."
Have Any Questions About This Newsletter?
Contact (631-352-7654 / PitchingDoc@msn.com) Dr. Arnold!
