Elbow Pain in a Professional Baseball
Professional baseball pitchers frequently injure their pitching arms. Two frequent sites are the shoulder and elbow. Pitching places great stress on the arm. The extreme motion combined with the high velocity necessary to pitch in the major leagues places the arm under significant stress. Tommy John surgery is often not successful. Some elite pitchers return to sport and flourish, others do not. When a professional baseball pitcher fails to improve, this often ends their career. If a baseball pitcher loses velocity on their fastball it may sign an end to their career as well.
A professional baseball pitcher continued to have nagging elbow pain and was eventually released by his team. This has led some pitchers to consider stem cell therapy as a means of possible repair. Dr. Lox treated one such Major League Baseball pitcher. Athletes are used to pain, and this player responded well to stem cell therapy.
He was quickly back at work with his trainer awaiting a new preseason to showcase his pitching strength.
The need to throw well is not just defined by their past, but at times the present day crop of younger athletes waiting for their turn is ever present.
Though experience is vital, the ability to deliver speed on their pitch on game day is paramount.
When an injured pitcher who threw under 90 mph, then returns to throwing 95 mph after treatment, this is a sign of relief and excitement.
The ability to keep an athlete on the playing field is a frequent goal of the patient. Professional athletes have unique pressures on their performance. This often translates to increased pressures on their bodies. Stem cells can be a viable option at times for these athletes.
Regenerative Medicine therapies may address chronic elbow pain and dysfunction, by utilizing tissue repair and regeneration models of repair to alter the degenerative pathway. Biologic agents, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), Stem Cell Therapy, Scaffolds, and even gene therapy has been investigated as repair mechanisms. The rationale is by eliminating further elbow trauma and repairing tissue by a regenerative therapy such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) or Stem Cell Therapy, an alternative option to the paradigm that all tissues will progressively deteriorate may be offered.
If you’re in pain or had an injury and are looking for an alternative to surgery, contact us immediately at one of our locations. Our Main Medical Center located in Tampa Bay, Florida (727) 462-5582 or at Beverly Hills, California (310) 975-7033.
