Can Baseball Cause Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is the name given to a curved spine; it is more accurately a disease that causes a sideways curvature of the spine. Teens and young adults are usually at the center as the disease is most common within their age demographic. It also occurs in people with underlying conditions like muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy. Cases of Scoliosis are often mild, with the cause of the disease unknown, although the curves may worsen as the child grows. Let us know ‘Can Baseball Cause Scoliosis?’.

Can Baseball Cause Scoliosis?

Baseball involves a bat and ball, which is played between two teams. The game is started when the pitcher throws the ball toward the batter who hits it, the sport can be classed as a one-sided sport meaning, it puts stress on one side of the body just like golf. While the throwing of the ball toward the batter by the pitcher and the swinging of the bat toward the incoming ball by the batter can cause injuries for unprofessional and professional baseball players, the sport does not cause Scoliosis. The disease is most common among teens and adolescents, and its causes are still unknown.

Common injuries associated with Baseball

If you are a baseball professional player or you just generally play the sport for fun, some of the injuries associated with the game include.

1. Torn labrum: A labral tear is usually a tear in the fibrocartilage, which is attached to the shoulder socket, the labral is that piece of fibrocartilage that keeps the ball of your joint in place. So, it is basically a shoulder injury common with the frequent swinging involved with baseball. ‘
2. Dead Arm: dead arm, shoulder instability, or dead arm syndrome occurs to players when they do a repetitive motion like when preparing to swing the ball, and then release the ball with a maximum force which in turn affects the posterior capsule, leaving the player with the inability to make precision throws. If you experience a dead arm you would need to rest using your shoulder for a while so it can recover.
3. Rotator Cuff: rotator cuff injuries are common with baseball players; it is caused by a tear in the tissues connecting the bone around the shoulder. In short, it is caused by progressive wear and tear of that tendon(tissues) leading it to snap.
4. Wrist tendonitis: this is common with pitchers although batters may also experience the injury it is caused by an inflammation or irritation of the tendons located at the wrist joint, it is major a reaction from the overuse or repetitive movements of the wrist to a while.
5. Pitcher’s elbow: the medical name of this injury is just awful to pronounce, but it is called medial epicondyle apophysitis and is common mostly among youth baseball players, who are just starting their careers, it is caused by overuse also just like wrist tendonitis repetitive motion, the injury is noticed by the swelling of the elbow and the pain it comes with. The Injury limits a pitcher’s range and if not taken care of will prevent the ability to throw a ball.

Playing Baseball with Scoliosis

While playing baseball and other sports when diagnosed with mild scoliosis is not usually a problem, scoliosis gets more severe with age and can even get more aggressive, becoming more painful and if you are a baseball player, you risk aggravating the illness and accelerating its severity, baseball is a one-sided sport, that puts a huge demand on one side of your body, for an already curvature spine this means you risk, affecting your spine more and more when you decide to play baseball, and even worse become a pitcher or batter, if you have scoliosis it is better to avoid sports that may affect you, you also risk getting other injuries or illnesses related to the game more readily than others which may also hamper your game efficiency. So, it is best to just avoid the game altogether.

Conclusion

Scoliosis in its initial stage is usually mild and operable although if you are a sports enthusiast and you really want to be involved in a sports club at school, it is possible, while this article can not tell you which sport will be good for you, there are a bunch you should avoid like Weight lifting, rugby, hockey, and American football, and generally other impact sports, dance, gymnastics and yoga, tennis, golf and skiing and other one-sided sports, these sports are identified as risky for persons who suffer from scoliosis.

FAQs

• Do I have to give up on the sport I love because I have Scoliosis?

No, while it gets aggravated with age, it does not mean you cannot pursue your dreams and passions.

• Can Scoliosis be treated?

The illness is operable and the use of braces can help adjust the illness. But it has no known treatment.