Elbow pain

[Sixguns]

I got into a softball league this year so I have been practicing a lot since its been 10 years since I last played baseball. Well, yesterday while swinging the bat I did something to my right elbow and now it hurts. Its sore to the touch on the inside of the elbow and also hurts to straighten my arm out. Any idea what this might be? Ive got my first game tomorrow and want to be able to play.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Well, honestly it could be several things. What kind of pain is it? Dull, sharp, achy, numbness, tingling, burning? Is it directly on the inside? First things that come to mind are ulnar collateral ligament sprain and forearm flexor strain/tendonitis. If you're trying to swing too much with your arms, a lot of the arm you'll experience excessive force on the inside of your elbow. Are you stepping into the thing effectively? Are you rotating your trunk well? Are you swinging too hard when you don't need to? Make sure you address your swing mechanics.

 

[Sixguns]

Well, honestly it could be several things. What kind of pain is it? Dull, sharp, achy, numbness, tingling, burning? Is it directly on the inside? First things that come to mind are ulnar collateral ligament sprain and forearm flexor strain/tendonitis. If you're trying to swing too much with your arms, a lot of the arm you'll experience excessive force on the inside of your elbow. Are you stepping into the thing effectively? Are you rotating your trunk well? Are you swinging too hard when you don't need to? Make sure you address your swing mechanics.

Its rather sharp. If I hold my arm straight out palm down its fine but as I try to rotate my palm up is when it starts to hurts. It almost feels like a pulling that goes from my elbow down into my forearm.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Its rather sharp. If I hold my arm straight out palm down its fine but as I try to rotate my palm up is when it starts to hurts. It almost feels like a pulling that goes from my elbow down into my forearm.

When you rotate your palm upward, it the sharp pain on the front or back? Or still on the inside? Sounds like a possible pronator teres strain. Pretty easy to work with, but it won't go away for good if you don't address what caused it - your swing form.

 

[Sixguns]

When you rotate your palm upward, it the sharp pain on the front or back? Or still on the inside? Sounds like a possible pronator teres strain. Pretty easy to work with, but it won't go away for good if you don't address what caused it - your swing form.

As I rotate the pain moves from the inside down my forearm (palm side).


My form is okay, it was just a bad swing and I know that because the dirt was really loose and I almost fell from my back foot sliding out from under me.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

As I rotate the pain moves from the inside down my forearm (palm side).


My form is okay, it was just a bad swing and I know that because the dirt was really loose and I almost fell from my back foot sliding out from under me.

Yeah, sounds like a forearm flexor group strain (most likely to be pronator teres). You can do some light supination/pronation exercises to promote blood flow and healing. Something like 30 reps each way should help. Let your symptoms be your guide - don't rotate into the end range and make it hurt. Just move it lightly - at max, it should hurt like 2-3 out of 10 on a pain scale (with 10 being the worst pain). Sometimes, it's a freak thing. Sometimes there are contributing factors. If it was just the one poor swing, doing light exercise and giving it some time will get you back on the right track.

 

[Sixguns]

Thanks SC. Its gotten better since that day. Saturday night was so bad that I could barely extend my arm straight out.