Athletes who participate in overhead sports and physical activities, including baseball pitchers, tennis, swimming, water polo and throwing sport athletes, exert tremendous amounts of stress on their shoulders and its surrounding structures when they participate in their specific athletics. For instance, an elite baseball pitcher’s arm has been recorded at over 7000 degrees/second, which arguably makes it the fastest human body movement from any sport.

Shoulder pain is a common symptom among the overhead athlete where throwing athletes will generally complain of dead arm, defined as a condition which restricts them from throwing at pre-injury speeds or control. SLAP, or superior labrum anterior-posterior, lesions are common causes of this type of dysfunction.

A SLAP tear occurs on the glenoid labrum from the anterior to posterior angle of the long head of the biceps tendon. The glenoid labrum is a wedge-shaped fibrous tissue structure that is attached to the edge of the glenoid, functioning to deepen the glenoid cavity to improve stability as well as implement muscular control and proprioception. The anatomy of the proximal long head bicep tendon may actually vary but, in a majority of cases, it originates from the posterior superior labrum and it is broader and innervated more sensory fibres than the distal tendon.

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.elpasobackclinic.com

During overhead throwing sports, shoulder injuries can be a common complication frequently diagnosed among athletes by many healthcare professionals. SLAP lesions, also known as anterior to posterior superior labral tears, can tremendously affect the athlete’s performance, greatly restricting the shoulder’s natural capabilities, including altering their original strength, flexibility and mobility. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.