Throw shoulder pain away with this awesome shoulder ice pack

Baseball and cricket are similar and different to each other in many ways, but the two sports do have one thing in common: the team with the best throwers – pitchers or bowlers, respectively – will likely have the most success.

Legendary American baseball manager Earl Weaver once said that the key to winning baseball games is pitching, followed by fundamentals and three-run home runs. It may be a simplistic outlook on baseball, but it just goes to show how crucial pitchers are in the sport. 

The same may be said about bowlers in cricket. Famed British-Pakistani bowling coach and former cricketer Azhar Mahmood believes that “batsmen win you games, bowlers win you tournaments.” 

Pitchers and bowlers are arguably the most important players in their respective sports, and they have the most impact on whether their team wins or loses. This is why major sporting clubs invest so much money in these types of athletes, as striking out the other team’s batters means certain victory! Therefore, it is imperative that throwing athletes take great care of their shoulders.

What makes a great throwing athlete? 

Is it enough for a pitcher or a bowler to have a strong arm? From cricket to baseball, these are, in general, some techniques of high-velocity power throwers:

• Good balance (a requirement for most athletes)
• Good arm action (consistent arm path with a continuous loose motion)
• A good cocking position (their fingers on top of the ball)
• A good external rotation of the shoulder (good pitchers tend to have a tremendous rotation of their shoulder – at least 170 degrees before accelerating)
• Good shoulder flexibility – the torso is arched as hips and shoulders horizontally rotate
• A good hip, trunk and shoulder rotation – all three must be flexible so the upper body is released like a spring to create monumental force
• A good arm extension and deceleration – connected to having flexible shoulder rotation

These may sound quite technical, but we can deduce that the common denominator in all this is a good, flexible shoulder.

Common injuries for a throwing athlete

Needless to say, shoulders are a pitcher’s or bowler’s biggest investment, and sports teams spend a tremendous amount of money hiring medical sport professionals to take care of their players’ shoulders. Dr. Mike Reinold, senior medical adviser for the Chicago White Sox, says that it is important that pitchers know when they’ve peaked in their output in order to avoid over-training the shoulders. 

Throwing athletes often subject their shoulders to repetitive stress and movement, leading the joint to a wide range of pain and injuries. Shoulder pain in athletes usually involves the rotator cuff.  When a player overworks their muscle or tendon, it can become inflamed. The rotator cuff is commonly irritated in pitchers and bowlers, resulting in tendinitis. 

Common symptoms of shoulder pain include:

• A deep pain in the shoulder that often extends down the arm.
• A lack of strength when throwing or when doing a throwing motion (also known as “dead arm”).
• Oftentimes, the pain can come when at rest or during the night.

How to best treat shoulder pain

The good news is that most shoulder pain does not necessarily require surgery. Most can be treated with rest, ice therapy and rehabilitation exercises. 

It is suggested that at the first phase of symptoms, the earliest treatment phase would be to apply the RICE method on the shoulders:

R – Rest the shoulders. Stop all activities that involve throwing motions.

I – Ice. Apply ice therapy to the affected area.

C – Compress. The affected area should be compressed to avoid swelling.

E – Elevate the shoulders. In this case, lying down should be avoided at least when doing the RICE method.

Good ice therapy practice for hurting shoulders

Ice therapy has long been a technique used for the recovery of pitchers and bowlers’ shoulders, and not just when they have sustained pain or injury. It’s been believed that intermittent cryotherapy (Ice therapy) can improve the performance of throwing athletes. 

So it’s not at all surprising to know that when a throwing injury plagues an athlete’s shoulders, ice therapy is given to them. The simple science behind this is that when we sustain injuries or pain, the affected area becomes inflamed (swelling, pain, redness). Applying ice-cold temperature to this area helps narrow the blood vessels in the area, and this will keep the swelling and inflammation down. 

Cold compresses or shoulder ice packs can help reduce swelling in a pitcher or bowler’s shoulder. A shoulder ice pack should be applied for 20 minutes at a time and up to five times a day.