Cricks and Cracks: Why Back Injuries are on the Rise in MLB

Sports Illustrated —July 22, 2016

SI’s Ian McMahan reports on back injuries currently plaguing MLB. He speaks with Joshua S. Dines, MD, a sports medicine surgeon at HSS, about his recent study on back injuries in professional baseball players.

"Swinging a bat is not a normal activity," said Dr. Dines. As described in his study, during the swinging motion, the spine and core are responsible for keeping everything together ensuring that the hip and shoulder move in parallel throughout the swing. When mechanics are off and the precise synchronization isn't achieved, performance may suffer and the likelihood of injury increases.

Similarly, pitchers also command a powerful rotation of upper body.

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