How Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel Can Reduce Pain from the 6 Most Common Baseball Injuries

Baseball is a great way to stay in shape and maintain good cardiovascular health while sharing the love of a sport with other people, but dedicated players know the risks of injuries. Baseball players put enormous stress on their bodies through repetitive motion, long practice hours, and limited recovery periods. Read on below to learn the most common types of baseball injuries and how Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel can improve your training experience and recovery time!

 

1. Rotator Cuff Tear

The muscles and tendons that surround and stabilize the shoulder joint are known collectively as the rotator cuff. They help rotate your shoulder and arm away and towards your body. Constant wear and tear from throwing makes this a common baseball injury; this is especially true for pitchers but it can happen to position players. Symptoms include:

• A dull ache deep in the shoulder.
• Reduced range of motion.
• Shoulder and arm weakness.
• Pain at rest, especially when lying on the injured shoulder.

Rotator cuff tears can be partial (damages the tendon) or full-thickness (separates the tendon from the bone). They can be acute, a sudden tear caused by an accident, but most in baseball are degenerative, happening over a longer period of heavy use. Causes include:

• Gradual tendon damage: small tears in the rotator cuff increase with time and use, breaking down the ligaments and muscle tissue.
• Overuse.
• Lack of recovery time.

2. Labral Tear

The labrum is a ring of cartilage that surrounds the shoulder socket and helps to keep the ball of the shoulder tight and stable. Similar to a rotator cuff tear, repeated throwing motions over a long period makes this tissue susceptible to gradual wear. This is also common for pitchers. Symptoms include:

• A feeling of mechanical difficulty with the shoulder: catching, locking, popping, or grinding.
• Pain.
• Reduced range of motion.
• Shoulder and arm weakness and instability.
• Feeling as though your shoulder may slip out of its joint: in the case of a Bankart tear.

Labral tears can happen in different directions: where the bicep tendon attaches; within or along the labrum; or the labrum torn off the bone. It will likely feel different depending on the tear. They can be acute, but are most often degenerative in baseball. Causes include:

• Gradual tendon damage: small tears in the labrum increase with time and use, breaking down its cartilage.
• Overuse.
• Lack of recovery time.

3. Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) Tear

Moving down the arm, we've got the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), also known as the Tommy John ligament. This ligament complex (in this case, three thick bands of tissue that hold bones together) runs on the inside of the elbow and connects the humerus, the upper arm bone, with the ulna, one of the forearm bones. Symptoms include:

• Inner elbow pain that worsens over time.
• A popping feeling, followed by intense pain, after throwing.

This is another case where repeated throwing motions cause wear, and pitchers are especially prone to this injury. Causes include:

• Gradual tendon damage: small tears in the UCL increase with time and use, breaking down its tissue.
• Overuse.
• Lack of recovery time.

4. Muscle Strain

Muscle strain, an injury caused by overstretching a muscle or tendon, is common in baseball regardless of position. Pulled muscles most often happen in baseball players to hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, back and abdominals, but this is by no means an exhaustive list.  Symptoms include:

• Sudden pain onset.
• Soreness.
• Reduced range of motion.
• Swelling.
• Bruising or discoloration.
• Muscle stiffness or weakness.
• A "knotted-up" feeling in the injured area.
• Muscle spasms.

Although pulled muscles are often acute, happening when you move your body in an awkward way or overexert yourself, your can develop chronic strains from long-term stress on a muscle or joint. Causes include:

• Lack of proper warmup before physical activity.
• Poor flexibility.
• Poor conditioning.
• Overexertion.
• Lack of recovery time.

5. Hamstring Injuries

The most common sports injury, hamstring injuries involve pain and tearing in the muscles on the back of your thigh. These muscles are responsible for hip and knee movements in walking, squatting, bending your knees, and tilting your pelvis, as well as decelerating your lower leg during the "swing phase" (when your foot is off the ground) of the running cycle.

• Symptoms: Straining, tightness, and weakness in your hamstring that develops gradually, which can lead to a sudden tear. An injured hamstring might feel tender to the touch and look bruised at the site.
• Causes: Muscle overload, which causes strains and tears as the muscle lengthens and contracts during use. Can also happen suddenly if the muscle is stretched too far or strained too suddenly. Can be the result of poor conditioning and muscle imbalances, muscle fatigue, or exercising with tight muscles.

6. Ankle Sprain

A sprained ankle occurs when you twist, turn, or otherwise move your ankle in an awkward way, stretching or tearing the ligaments, the connective tissue that helps connect your ankle bones. Symptoms include:

• Pain and swelling in the ankle.
• Bruising.
• Discoloration.
• Reduced range of motion.

Ankle sprains are commonly caused by the sudden movements and turns that can be commonplace during a baseball game whether you're base running or fielding. Causes include:

• A stretched or torn ligament due to the ankle being moved out of normal position.

 

How Can Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel Help Reduce Pain from Baseball Injuries?

Injuries are extremely common for athletes and tend to develop gradually due to repetitive stress on the legs combined with poor or limited downtime after exercise. Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel is a unique formulation of high-quality, all-natural ingredients designed to reduce muscle, joint, tendon, and ligament soreness and strain after exercise! Our ingredients have been specially chosen to reduce inflammation and strain after physical activity:

• Menthol: Its cooling sensation numbs pain, providing immediate relief, while it widens blood vessels to improve circulation and deliver more oxygen and nutrients to damaged areas.
• MSM: Prevents breakdown of connective tissue like ligaments and reduces inflammation.
• Spearmint: Soothes pain and muscle contractions, reducing stress on the foot.
• Aloe Vera: Anti-inflammatory plant that promotes faster muscle recovery.
• Camphor: Cooling pain reliever that reduces swelling from injury and increases circulation.
• Vitamin E: Reduces muscle soreness and encourages muscle rebuilding, strengthening the foot's support.
• Green Tea Extract: Powerful antioxidant that reduces the oxidative stress that can cause inflammation.
• Arnica Flower: Relieves inflammation and muscle soreness while improving circulation.
• Turmeric: Inhibits inflammatory response while promoting deep absorption of ingredients, fighting pain at its source.

 

Are you looking for pain relief from running injuries? Click here to try Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel today to get back on your feet!