Have you ever worked with a pitcher that has torn her ACL? My daughter tore her ACL in November. She throws right, and she tore her left knee ACL. She is about 6 weeks post op. What would be some non-weight bearing drills she could do not to lose all of her skills she has worked so hard to get? She is a sophomore in high school. Suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

Answer: Yes, we have worked with three different pitchers who came to us after tearing their ACL’s to see if we might be able to help them get back to form. Because of our reputation for working very much within the natural biomechanical tendencies of females, more and more new pitchers are coming from around the country to see if we can help discover the sources of pain and injuries. Injuries are never something we want our daughters to experience, but they do offer pitchers the opportunity to work on correcting problems in unaffected parts of the body. One of the girls with whom we work actually turned ACL surgery into a chance to get better. During the recovery she began working with the therapist to help strengthen the affected area and the benefits were so obvious that she began a serious workout routine to get the whole body in better shape. She returned to pitching stronger than ever.



During the recovery we suggest light arm circle work and lots of spin work. However, there are many variables, and we would have a lot of questions before making a specific suggestion. If the injury was related to pitching, something seriously has to change. If it is unrelated, we still need to understand her size and weight, certain things about her style, length of stride, and so forth so we could plan a full comeback. For that reason, we would want to talk with you, personally, before making suggestions. Feel free to call with questions.



Now, let’s address ACL’s. The latest research shows that girls suffer ACL tears at 6-8 times the rate of boys doing the same activities. This has to be a concern. Yet, many of these can be prevented, as can other injuries that are affecting pitchers. That is one of the reasons we are partnering with Robbie Hebert at www.abearperformancetraining.com To learn more about that effort, explore our website.