Dana Sorensen and Jono Green, co-owners at Symbiotic Training Center, talk about how back pain can be a prominent issue for baseball and softball pitchers.
This can be due to several factors that are specific to pitchers:
- Compression: Weight-bearing load on the body created by repeated impact on the ground.
- Extension: A pitcher's ribs often stick out when in a neutral position, meaning that the lower back is consistently in an arched position - which can lead to back pain.
- Tightness: Many pitchers have over-worked back muscles because they are consistently flexed. When an athlete then sits in a resting position, their immediate reaction is to relax the back and get into a hunched position. This will lead to poor muscle memory posture.
To counter back pain, a proper training program must be put in place to increase mobility and strengthen the core. When an athlete is pain-free, their ability to perform is heightened.
