Free Gym Bag Tags With Prevention Exercises Help Athletes Save 'Shoulders For Life'

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Jun 09, 2015, 11:25 ET

CHICAGO, June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Overhead athletes who participate in volleyball, tennis, lacrosse, baseball, softball and gymnastics will benefit from complimentary gym bag tags featuring injury prevention exercises. The tags can be ordered at www.shouldersforlife.org, a website highlighting a public service program advocating prevention to counter the rising number of shoulder and elbow injuries among youth athletes.

The "Shoulders for Life" initiative is sponsored by the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association (IATA), an advocate for safety in sports, and Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) sports medicine physicians, who are team physicians for the Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Bulls.

Overhead athletes are at risk of shoulder and elbow overuse injuries because of repetitive motion, stiffer competition and year-round play.

A study in The American Journal of Sports Medicine found that 75 percent of baseball players, ages eight to 18, experience arm pain, yet often continue to play because of overzealous coaches and parents. "Increased pressure to throw faster is creating more injuries," admits Dr. Gregory Nicholson, MOR shoulder and elbow surgeon. "Major league pitchers are now throwing 95 miles per hour; college pitchers are throwing in the low 90s -- and high school athletes are trying to reach those speeds too."

According to the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine, there has been a five-fold increase in the number of serious shoulder and elbow injuries among youth baseball and softball players since 2000. Other research shows that 91 percent of competitive swimmers ages 13 to 25 reported shoulder pain at least once.

"Shoulders for Life" urges all school and travel teams to regulate play and practice time -- and utilize specific prevention exercises for warm up. Illinois athletic trainers and MOR physicians say overuse injuries should be addressed because they can lead to shoulder and elbow conditions down the road.

"I see shocking numbers of athletes sidelined with shoulder and elbow injuries from overuse," explains IATA President Mike "Sully" Sullivan, MS, ATC. "Because of the competition, athletes play year round and use arms their arms at faster speeds and with more force." "Shoulders for Life" was designed to educate athletes, coaches and parents about ways to prevent shoulder and elbow injuries such as dislocation, tears or tendinitis.

For more information visit: www.shouldersforlife.org , www.rushortho.com or Facebook.

SOURCE Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush