To help you understand and navigate through your orthopedic health decisions, we have created a patient education section. Please select from one of the categories below to learn more about your condition or procedure:
Elbow injuries in throwing athletes, such as baseball pitchers, are typically overuse injuries caused by the repetitive high valgus and extension loads imparted on the elbow during the overhead throwing motion. These injuries can be acute or chronic and often involve the medial (inner) stabilizing structures of the elbow.
Common Symptoms
Cause & Anatomy
The overhead throwing motion places tremendous stress on the elbow joint, particularly the:
The forces during throwing apply tensile stress to the medial (inner) stabilizers, compression on the lateral (outer) side, and shear stress posteriorly.
Diagnosis
Prevention
Prevention is key and involves limiting pitch counts, innings, months per year, and throwing with fatigue/pain. Emphasis on proper mechanics is also important.
Common Injuries
Treatment
Surgery
Surgery may be required for injuries not responding to conservative treatment, such as:
Rehabilitation
A comprehensive rehabilitation program focused on restoring strength, flexibility and proper throwing mechanics is critical after injury or surgery before returning to play.
HCA Healthcare is in contract negotiations with Anthem and Cigna. Some patients may have received letters stating that care at an HCA facility could become out of network beginning Dec. 1, 2026, for Anthem or Jan. 1, 2027, for Cigna if new agreements are not reached.
HCA has assured us they expect to resolve both negotiations before those dates. If you have a procedure scheduled at an HCA facility, please do not cancel it based solely on the letter. Contact your insurer to confirm your facility’s network status and benefits, and reach out to our scheduling team with questions. We are monitoring the situation and will help patients understand their options as updates become available.
We will honor existing appointments through 03/01/2026 without authorization. However, any planned or ongoing treatment may be delayed if authorization is not received (IE: MRI, Surgery, PT/OT).
Please contact your PCP as soon as possible to obtain an authorization if you wish to be seen today or to avoid delays in care.
