A Survey Examining the Correlations Between Japanese Little League Baseball Coaches’ Knowledge of and Compliance With Pitch Count Recommendations and Player Elbow Pain

Abstract

Background:With the incidence of Little League elbow increasing, pitch limit recommendations for preventing throwing injuries have been developed in both the United States and Japan. However, levels of knowledge of and compliance with these recommendations among coaches of young baseball teams in Japan remain unknown. The relationship between these levels and elbow pain among players has not been adequately studied.Hypothesis:Knowledge of and compliance with these recommendations is similar in the United States and Japan. Greater knowledge and higher levels of compliance have a significant correlation with reduced elbow pain in Little League baseball players.Study Design:Cross-sectional study.Methods:Coaches of youth baseball teams in Kyoto, Japan, completed a questionnaire assessing knowledge of and compliance with recommendations. Team variables and coach-related factors concerning elbow pain among young baseball players were surveyed, and the questionnaire investigated demographic data and elbow pain history in the previous 12 months.Results:In total, 123 baseball coaches and 654 baseball players aged 6 to 12 years participated in this study; data were analyzed for 113 coaches and 339 players. Among coaches, 39.8% had accurate knowledge of the recommendations (similar to the US data) and 28.3% complied with them (lower than the US data). There was no correlation between elbow pain and knowledge of and compliance with the recommendations, but coaches’ opinions on the number of games were indicated as a significant risk factor for elbow pain; the more coaches considered the number of games played, the fewer the number of players who experienced elbow pain.Conclusion:The level of knowledge of recommendations in Japan was similar to that in the United States, but compliance levels were far lower. There was no correlation between elbow pain and knowledge and compliance.Clinical Relevance:The Little League elbow problem should be addressed at global and national levels.

Sport Specialization and Overuse Injuries in Adolescent Throwing Athletes: A Narrative Review

“…34,43 Due to the relatively recent implementation of these pitch guidelines, no large-scale epidemiologic studies have been conducted to determine whether overuse injury rates were declining. Regrettably, preliminary data [46][47][48][49] indicated that some youth coaches in the United States and Japan did not adhere to pitch-volume recommendations or were unaware of pitch-count restrictions. Some coaches may neglect to rest an adolescent throwing athlete with an overuse injury.…”

Restriction in the hip internal rotation of the stride leg is associated with elbow and shoulder pain in elite young baseball players

“…Although Sakata et al 28 suggested that a prevention program aiming to improve physical function can prevent elbow injuries, only a few studies have examined the relationship of physical dysfunction of the trunk and lower extremities with elbow and shoulder pain in young baseball players. 27,34 In our clinical experience, we have seen injured baseball players with biomechanical dysfunction such as hamstring tightness, hip ROM restriction, and scapular dysfunction. 30,33 We anticipated that physical dysfunction would be a risk factor for overload in the elbow and shoulder.…”

Incidence, prevalence, and risk factors for elbow and shoulder overuse injuries in youth athletes: A systematic review

“…Future research should focus on the identification of these risk factors to create dedicated preventive programs. However, in youth baseball extensive pitching guidelines are present and despite the proven value implementation of these pitch‐count restrictions is poor . Therefore, after identifying the aforementioned risk factors, preventive measures should be developed in collaboration with coaches, athletes, parents, and (team‐)physicians to optimize effectiveness, implementation, and feasibility.…”