Scapular What?
Scapular dyskinesis means your shoulder blade is moving in an abnormal way. The shoulder blade stays close to the rib cage and provides a stable base for the arm to move off of when reaching overhead. Normally, we see a wide variety of shoulder blade positions when an athlete reaches overhead to throw or hit a ball. But, some positions are classified as abnormal.
Is this a problem if the athlete has no pain?
A new study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine by Darren Hickey et al., looked to see if scapular dyskinesis in an athlete without shoulder pain increases the risk for pain in the future. They found athletes with scapular dyskinesis were 43% more likely to have future shoulder pain than athletes with normal scapular mechanics.
There are 3 types of scapular dyskinesis.
Type 1 – the bottom angle of the shoulder blade sticks up off the rib cage greater than the rest of the shoulder blade.
Type 2 – the whole portion of the shoulder blade closest to the spine sticks out.
Type 3 – the top portion of the shoulder blade sticks out.
Do you have scapular dyskinesis? What should you do about it?
Scapular dyskinesis can be the result of muscle tightness or weakness. If an athlete is suffering from scapular dyskinesis but does not have pain, they should be aware they are at an increased chance of injury in the future. The off-season is a great time to see a physical therapist and learn exercises to help prevent future injury. Freedom Physical Therapy Services has a pitching expert on staff! Come see Mike Ruppel in Grafton!
Set up an appointment with a physical therapist today to address any concerns you may have about scapular dyskinesis or any other baseball related injuries!