The Common Elbow Injuries and Their Rehabilitation - Paper Example

Introduction

The arm motion during baseball games is extremely vigorous, and this is the possible reason for the frequent elbow injuries among the baseball players. After the analysis of the six articles, the assessment of movement of the elbow attracted the most attention and he essay is based on the same. The rehabilitation process of the elbows can only be effective if there is adequate information about the kinematics of the joints and how the injuries can be prevented. If the pitching mechanics during baseball are understood, then it is easier for the therapists to develop effective rehabilitative programs to help pitchers to recover easily (page 1).1 The first step in developing an effective therapy is to understand the common elbow injuries. The first one is the sprains and it refers to the injuries that affect the ligaments. The second one is the strains, and these refer to the tearing of the muscular tendons. Contusions are also common, and these could be bruises on the elbow. Inflammations also affect the athletes and they are as a result of repetitive trauma and overload (page 2).2

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The chosen article, 'Rehabilitation of the elbow in the throwing athlete' is a professional position that explains the treatment process of the elbow and how therapists can achieve the best results through progressive exercises. The purpose of the article is to explain the treatment of injuries caused by movement of the elbow joint and it achieved its targets by the use of images, sub-headings and explanations to give guidance on how the treatment is done. The conclusion of the article is that the treatment of the elbow should be done systematically to avoid elbow contracture flexion, whereby the athlete cannot throw a ball like before because the elbow fails to stretch efficiently. In my work as a PTA, the article will help me to make decisions on the stages to follow in a therapy session to help athletes to get back to their full functioning in the field.

The first consideration in the medical consideration of the elbow rehabilitation should be how to prevent the injuries. Physical and psychological preparedness should be embraced as well as aerobic and anaerobic exercises aimed at increasing the strength and sustainability of the elbows. All past injuries have to be fully rehabilitated before people engage in further exercises. It is also important to have frequent medical checkups and a healthy eating habit to enhance successful rehabilitation of the elbow injuries (page 3).2 Injuries of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) are common in athletes involved in throwing javelin and pitchers in baseball because they expose their elbows to a lot of stress. Constructive surgery has to be done to rehabilitate the athlete's UCL (page 1).3 Proper training can help reduce the injuries in the athletes. For the athlete to go back to their play, the rehabilitation process ought to be followed by preventive measures to help them to prevent further injury. The therapists can treat the athletes by engaging them in standard exercises that are done in stages and that allows each part of the damaged tissues of the elbow to heal.

The summary of the kinematics of the elbow shows that there is a sequence of motions during a pitch and these motions can cause injuries. Compression force and extension forces are involved when making a pitch. The pitch can be divided into six phases; wind up, the stride, the arm cocking, arm acceleration, followed by arm deceleration and lastly the follow-through.1 The above phases involve all parts of the elbow and this makes it hard for therapists to restore it after an injury. The aim of the therapists is to make sure the athlete has a full, non-painful elbow movement. The rehabilitation process should fit the needs of each athlete and they should follow the guidance of the therapist to progress from one phase of pitching to the other, depending on the part of the elbow that heals (page 2).4 The rehabilitation process should ensure that the healing tissues are not compromised and that the athlete is safe when they return to the game. The rehabilitation process should also include other parts of the body like the legs and upper extremity to enable the athlete to be fully fit to play again (page 1).5 Non-operative rehabilitation options have been tried, but the main challenge with them is that they do not have high chances of success and ulnar neuropathy and failure to return to the sports discourages these efforts (page 3).6 Stiffness, pain, and weakness are some of the common challenges facing the rehabilitation process.

References

Wilk KE, Arrigo C, Andrews JR. Rehabilitation of the elbow in the throwing athlete. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 1993 Jun; 17 (6):305-17.

Werner SL, Fleisig GS, Dillman CJ, Andrews JR. Biomechanics of the elbow during baseball pitching. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 1993 Jun; 17(6):274-8.

Andrews JR, Whiteside JA. Common elbow problems in the athlete. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 1993 Jun; 17 (6):289-95.

Seto JL, Brewster CE, Criswell Randall C, Jobe FW. Rehabilitation following ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction of athletes. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 1991 Sep; 14 (3):100-5.

Wilk KE, Macrina LC, Cain EL, Dugas JR, Andrews JR. Rehabilitation of the overhead athlete's elbow. Sports health. 2012 Sep;4 (5):404-14.

Erickson BJ, Harris JD, Chalmers PN, Bach Jr BR, Verma NN, Bush-Joseph CA, Romeo AA. Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction: anatomy, indications, techniques, and outcomes. Sports Health. 2015 Nov;7 (6):511-7.