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The Driven AthleteAuthor: Dr. Kyle Volstad, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, CSCS
Helping driven and ambitious people elevate their performance in life, health, exercise, and injury prevention. Shedding light on best known health practices, lifestyle habits, and injury prevention. Language: en-us Genres: Health & Fitness, Medicine Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Elbow Is The Victim, Not The Culprit | Ep 112
Wednesday, 21 January, 2026
Elbow pain may scream the loudest, but it rarely tells the whole story. We zoom into the medial elbow to explain the real difference between golfer’s elbow and thrower’s elbow, why the UCL takes a beating during high-velocity throws, and how mechanics, mobility, and sequencing make or break a season. Along the way, we challenge the “overuse” label and show how two athletes with the same workload can have very different outcomes based on shoulder external rotation, scapular control, thoracic motion, and lower-body contribution.We walk through the anatomy that matters—ulnar collateral ligament, anterior band stress under valgus load, and the flexor–pronator mass—and connect it to on-field phases like late cocking, layback, and acceleration. You’ll learn why maximum external rotation (MER) is a protective adaptation for pitchers, how limited ER or stiff thoracic spines shift force to the elbow, and what “short-arming” reveals about missing range or flawed timing. For lifters and racket athletes, we highlight how repetitive gripping and wrist-dominant swings overload the medial epicondyle, and the simple technique and programming tweaks that reduce tendon strain fast.Then we map the fix: calm the elbow with smart isometrics and blood flow work, restore missing mobility at the shoulder and t-spine, build scapular upward rotation and retraction, and integrate lower-body power so velocity comes from the ground up. We outline assessment checkpoints—subscap strength, hip mobility, pelvis-trunk-shoulder sequencing—and share a practical progression back to throwing while partnering with a pitching coach to lock in cleaner mechanics.If you’re a coach, parent, or athlete chasing performance without pain, this is your blueprint to protect the UCL, resolve golfer’s elbow, and keep your arm durable. Listen, share with a teammate who needs it, and subscribe to get more evidence-based training and rehab insights. Got questions or a take we should hear? Drop us a message and leave a review to help others find the show.
