In order to function properly, the shoulder needs to have a lot of mobility. Because of this great range of motion, the shoulder joint is more vulnerable to being unstable and injured. Most sports are demanding on the shoulders to some extent, but none more so than baseball, and this is especially true for pitchers.

The most stress is placed on the shoulder during overhand throwing, and over time, this stress can lead to overuse injuries. While this is most common in pitchers, it is also a common problem for other athletes who often make the same motion, such as quarterbacks, volleyball players and tennis players.

Physical Therapy for Rotator Cuff

Rotator cuff surgeries are performed on as many as 250,000 people every year in the United States. Even with that high of a number, studies suggest that only 5% of rotator cuff tears require surgery.  These surgeries are also not guaranteed to be successful, so physical therapy for rotator cuff has become the best defense to avoid having to have surgery. It is worth noting that physical therapy is significantly more cost effective than surgery as well. Considering that surgery in and of itself can be a pretty scary thing, it’s clear to see why more people on average would opt to not have surgery unless it was absolutely necessary.

For an athlete, especially a high level athlete, there is another thing that should be considered here as well. It typically takes about 4 to 6 months to recover from a rotator cuff surgery. Depending on your particular age and sport, you may not have 4 to 6 months to dedicate to recovering from surgery. It may be really unfair, but as time goes by, opportunities are lost and they can not always be gotten back. If, as an athlete, you can save yourself from missing months of practice and work towards your goal by opting for physical therapy for rotator cuff

instead of surgery, why wouldn’t you?

Physical therapy for a pitcher can be a game changer and a career saver. Not only can physical therapy for pitchers help them avoid surgery, it can also help them to deal with pain management and avoiding future injuries, too. A personally designed physical therapy regimens can make all the difference in improving motion, fixing muscle imbalances, and restoring stabilization of the shoulder joint helping many people to avoid surgery and save all of that pain, time and money!

Physical therapy for Rotator Cuff After Surgery

If you decide that having your rotator cuff surgically repaired is the right answer for you, then you should be prepared for the recovery process. First, your shoulder will have to stay completely immobile for the first seven to ten days (usually this is done by placing it in a sling). After this initial protective period is over, you will need physical therapy for around 6 weeks with passive and assisted motion, and then for another 6 weeks with active motions. This twelve weeks of physical therapy that is needed after your rotator cuff surgery is to ensure the success of the surgery and make sure that you regain as much of your strength and range of motion as possible. It is imperative that you do not skip out on this physical therapy because it could cause your surgery to fail, which would mean that you went through the surgery for absolutely nothing.

Where to Find Physical Therapy for Pitchers

Physical therapy for pitchers is really important even if there is no rotator cuff tear to deal with. The truth is that the majority if not all pitchers will complain of back or shoulder pain at some point in their careers. The best way to alleviate this pain and prevent injuries to your back and shoulders is to utilize physical therapy. A licensed physical therapist can teach you exercises and work with you to understand things you can do in your day to day lifestyle that will help you control your pain and strengthen your body.

If you are looking for physical therapy for rotator cuff or physical therapy for pitchers, reach out to Petroski Physiotherapy and Performance provides an individual plan for each of their clients. They use state of the art technology and therapies and provide the very best one on one physical therapy. Call (215) 576-4796 today to learn more.