Rest your arm for at least a few days, if not a few weeks, to give it a chance to recover. Pitching with a sore arm causes an increase in the risk of a significant elbow or shoulder injury. Follow the recommended or required limits for pitches or innings, and for rest between outings, to limit the likelihood of soreness in the first place. However, always listen to your body first — if your arm is sore, do not pitch until it feels better. [2] X Research source [3] X Research source
If you don’t have ice, then you can also use a bag of frozen vegetables, such as frozen peas or corn, to ice your arm. Wrap the bag of vegetables in a paper towel and place it on your upper arm. Make sure that you remove ice after about 15 to 20 minutes and then allow your skin to return to its normal temperature before using ice again.
Wrap the upper part of your arm so that it is snug, but not too tight.
For example, you can take a 400 to 800 mg of Motrin every 6 hours as needed. Do not exceed the maximum dose of 3,200 mg per day. Follow the instructions for any over-the-counter pain medication that you decide to take.
Sore muscles improve with rest. Injured muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc. often do not. Don’t discount, ignore, or try to mask arm pain, or you may be risking a major arm injury that could end your time as a pitcher for good.
Depending upon the findings of the initial examination, the doctor may recommend an x-ray, CT scan, and/or MRI scan of the arm in question. Don’t pass up the opportunity to make use of these diagnostic tools.
Surgeries to repair the rotator cuff area of the shoulder are not uncommon for injured pitchers, but in recent years elbow surgeries have become increasingly common. Elbow ligament repair and replacement operations (the latter often called “Tommy John surgery” in honor of the first big leaguer to successfully undergo the procedure) continue to increase in number at all levels of baseball as pitching velocity (again at all levels) goes up.
Rest a sore arm, and always follow recommended or required pitch and inning counts and recovery periods. Give pitching arms longer periods of rest throughout the year — for youth pitchers, at least four months total and at least two or three months consecutively. As a coach, focus on teaching good mechanics and remove pitchers once signs of fatigue or poor mechanics appear. Take special precautions when youth pitchers are throwing in high-pressure situations like a championship game, a “showcase” for college recruiters or pro scouts, or when a radar gun is being used to measure velocity. Reaching back for some extra “oomph” on the fastball increases the risk for soreness, pain, and injury.
While resting a sore arm, watch videos of good pitching motions, as well as of your own if you can. Talk to experienced pitching coaches to help develop a motion that works for you, that can be repeated consistently, and that will reduce strain on your arm. If you are into even more advanced technology, new arm sleeves have been developed that can track and analyze key data like arm motion, angle, and torque. This is probably more applicable to a big leaguer than a little leaguer, though. [13] X Research source
Cut out or limit the arm exercises while resting a sore arm, but continue to work on your core and legs. The more developed they become, the more likely you are to prevent future arm soreness. Especially focus on strengthening your shoulder, rotator cuff, and upper back. In addition, work on your range of motion and stability in your shoulder, as well as the posture in your shoulders, upper neck, and back. [15] X Expert Source Joel Giffin, PT, DPT, CHTPhysical Therapist Expert Interview. 22 October 2020.
