There are apps for almost everything. Now there is one for baseball pitchers who hope to reduce the likelihood of injuries to their pitching arms. Called “Throw like a Pro, ” the app is the result of a collaboration between James Andrews, M.D. and Kevin Wilk, M.D. who are leading experts on overuse injuries in baseball. If instructions on the app are followed they predict a 60% reduction in overuse related baseball injuries.
Wilk believes that pitchers’ injuries are under reported. He notes that 45 professional players have already had Tommy John surgery in 2014. “For the people who think famous, major league pitchers are the only ones undergoing Tommy John surgery, we have news for you. We have seen countless youth and teenage baseball players with elbow injuries…. It’s very unfortunate, sad, and in many cases, probably avoidable, ” he said.
Wilk’s colleague Andrews shares his view. He said, “In a single day, I completed eight Tommy John surgeries. Two of my patients were major league pitchers, another two pitched for college teams, and four were high schoolers ranging in age from 14 to 17. It was a remarkable day because it reminded me how widespread the problem of professional level injuries has become, even at the teenage level.”
“Throw Like a Pro” is produced by Abracadabra Health of Birmingham, Alabama. According to the manufacturer it addresses many of the contributing factors of overuse injuries with a comprehensive set of features which include a pre-season exercise regimen, an in-season maintenance guide, an age-based pitch counter and rest calculator, and other training and rest recommendations.
