Elbow pain | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips
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28 May 14 at 18:40
Elbow pain

Long time no see!
Hi, I'm a left hand medium pace bowler and about 4 months ago while bowling my elbow got a huge pain and i was unable to bowl next delivery
i waited for 2-3 weeks and then again i resumed bowling and after 2-3 overs i again start getting pain in my left elbow.
Now it's been about 3 months i haven't bowled.
I consulted to the doctor x-ray was completely normal and he said that muscles usually grow till age 21 so that's why i'm getting pain.. he suggested some medicines and muscle brace to wear.. and also to give hand rest till 21 age. I'm 19 currently though but is there any alternate solution?
Like changing action? anything would help btw i'm a better batsman than a bowler so you know..
So suggest me what to do... Thanks.

Comments

10 Jun 14 at 19:52

I hope the below helps. I have had a few issues with elbows from the players I train. This is an article I have taken from my website, I hope this gives you some more guidance on your elbow pain and if I can help you any further please let me know.

Elbow pain in cricket is not an uncommon injury, so it is suprising to find so little practical information on this type of injury.
My goal is to make this article as short and straight forward as possible so that you can take this information and either rehab an injury or prevent an elbow injury from occurring.
The most important fact about the elbow is…
The elbow is the most “claustrophobic” joint in the body; there is a lot of stuff crammed into very little space. In total there are 16 muscles crossing the elbow, that’s more than you will find at any other hinge joint in the body! This is despite the knee being a bigger joint requiring more stability.
With all this physical matter packed in to such a small area, soft tissue problems can lead to a whole cascade of symptoms and scenarios.

1. Lots of tissue is packed in to a small area.
2. They get stuck together and form nasty fibrotic balls (knots)
3. These knots impact everything from neural function to soft tissue integrity.

However, to purely focus on the elbow as the site and source of the injury would be foolish. A lot of elbow pain will come from the glenohumeral and scapulothoracic joints (shoulder joints).

You need good soft tissue work on these areas of your shoulder as negating this fact grossly ignores the unique anatomical structure of the elbow and forearm.

As cricketers mature the bones become sturdier, more muscle/tendon, ligament and nerve issues are seen on the inside of the elbow.

Causes Of Elbow Pain In Cricketers

1. Mechanical Issues
If you find that as you tire bowling or just in general you bowl across your body it is easy to max out their shoulder internal rotation and scapular protraction of the shoulder blade the only way you can get more range of motion is from the elbow.
2. Too Much Bowling
This one is short and sweet and the research is available. There is only so much bowling your arm can take, monitor it carefully. Following points 3 and 4 however will increase the amount of bowling you can do before risking elbow injury.

3. Not being physically fit to bowl
In summary, bowling in cricket is an action that takes it’s toll on the body. If you aren’t functionally fit (cricket fit) to bowl it’s not a matter of if but when you get injured.

4. Not Warming Up To Bowl
It amazes me how many people warm up by just bowling! Bowling is an extreme stress yet the majority of cricketers can’t want to jump straight in and bowl.
I encourage my players to go through the following warm up protocol before even picking up a ball.
i) Optimize Mobility
ii) Activate key muscles
iii) Increase body temperature through movement based drills over 25 yards.

This whole warm up process takes 15 minutes to complete and played a vital role in our 2013 injury rate of 0%.

It’s not just the warm up that I am concerned with however, it is also the warm down. One of the key issues for throwing athletes is joint laxity in the front of the shoulder joint (the structures in the front of the shoulder being too loose) and the muscles at the back becoming too tight, leading to muscle imbalance in the shoulder and increasing the risk of shoulder injuries.

The key for my upper body warm downs is to maintain optimal shoulder mobility and loose hips.

So there you have it, a quick summary on elbow pain in cricketers. I hope this information helps you with what can be a very complex area. Please don't use this article for diagnosis or treatment of an injury, it is purely meant to help you understand why elbow injuries occur and what can be done to prevent them. In any instance of pain and an actual shoulder injury developing please seek advice and treatment of a medical professional.

04 Jul 14 at 20:06

Thanks for info bro... yeah i figured out why it happened to me its because of overdoing and without warming up...

Well the Doc diagnosis the problem and he said i have a Goalfer's Elbow... it's treatment is either to take some kind of injection and take a rest for awhile or if it not gets better than surgery.

Well i'm confused... all i have to do is to wait till it gets better Sad i hope i don't need surgery because operations are always bad.