The shoulder is one of the most
commonly injured areas in sports, especially in sports involving
overhead movements such as baseball, lacrosse, and swimming.
With an understanding of the shoulder joint and by performing the
right exercises, these types of injuries can be prevented.
Lack of stability of the shoulder is
the main reason for so many throwing injuries. It is
important to understand that this joint is very mobile and allows a
large amount of motion in many directions. In order for the
shoulder to allow this excessive motion, stability is
compromised. The stability the shoulder does have comes
mainly from the rotator cuff, which is a group of four small
muscles that surround the joint. Any weakness or lack of
endurance of the rotator cuff puts the athlete at high risk for
shoulder injuries.
By keeping the shoulder joint flexible
and strengthening the rotator cuff, risk of injury can be
significantly reduced. Click the baseball for a basic program
all athletes that use the repetitive overhead motion should follow
to keep their shoulders healthy. This is especially useful
for baseball pitchers, volleyball players, quarterbacks, and
swimmers.