Are Baseball Injuries in a League of their Own?

Well, not quite. Many sports share injuries in common, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, shin splints, sprains, Achilles tendonitis, ruptures, blisters, etc. From Little League to the Big League, the injuries remain the same, but since the MLB players have trainers and team doctors, let’s keep an eye on the younger ones and the backyard sports enthusiasts.

Foot and ankle injuries are the most common injuries in baseball, not to mention conditions that can develop due to over-training or under-conditioning. Common ailments are:

    •    Plantar fasciitis

    •    Achilles tendonitis

    •    Ruptures tendons

    •    Stress fractures

    •    Trauma fractures

    •    Sprains

    •    Trip and fall injuries

    •    Blisters

But in addition to this, one of the more unique requirements in baseball is going from a standstill to a sprint, then from a sprint to a standstill when running the bases. This forces a lot of stress on the feet and ankles yet it is not an exercise that is focused on much in training and conditioning. Generally emphasis is placed on hitting the ball and fielding practice. Base running, however, is not usually taught and safety can be overlooked. Maintain the field in the best playing condition possible. This might sound like a lot of work, but check for holes or ruts and fill them immediately. If you are a visiting team, check out the field. Have your team take a light run on it so they familiarize themselves with the playing conditions. When doing exercises, conduct practice drills that use quick stops and starts so the body slowly begins to understand what is expected of it. Coordination drills are also good at drawing focus to using their feet. Practicing coordination exercises can prevent young player’s feet from getting confused and causing injuries.

Another problem that can lead to injury is cleats. Although cleats and spikes offer traction, they also can get caught and cause sprains, trips and twists. Buy cleats to fit. You can’t count on multiple seasons because of the growth rate in youngsters, so don’t handicap young players with shoes that are too big. This can lead to blisters, friction problems, fractures, sprains and falls.

Although base sliding it is fun it poses another opportunity for injuries such as sprains, fractures and broken toes. Proper sliding technique needs to be taught and it should not include using cleats as assault weapons. Remember, this is supposed to be fun. Focus on staying safe and avoiding injury. Check your youngster over for blisters, redness and swelling. What they don’t tell you can hurt them.

If you or your youngster sustains injury to your foot or ankle, contact Dr. Bowman at (713) 467-8886.

References:

http://www.healingfeet.com/blog/foot-care/safe-preventing-foot-and-ankle-injuries-in-baseball-players
http://www.houstonfootspecialists.com/educational-videos.html
http://communityfootcare.net/stay-in-the-game-avoiding-baseball-related-foot-and-ankle-injury/

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