The Overhead Athlete: A Comprehensive Treatment Approach

Course Description

This course will help you understand the mechanics of the throwing process to properly rehab a thrower, and teach you to look for issues that may have predisposed them for injury. This course will also lead to discussions concerning the climate of youth sports and specialization.

Overhead athletes of all ages are capable of accelerating their upper extremity to speeds that routinely exceed 7,000 degrees per second. The role of and interaction between the joints, tissues, and segments involved in this process is very complex, but often results in injuries to the shoulder and elbow. This course will examine common areas of dysfunction in the overhead athlete through easy to digest biomechanical framework that addresses the entire kinetic chain. Treatment approaches will emerge from an enhanced understanding of this framework and will be discussed in terms of manual techniques and appropriate treatment progression.

 

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What people are saying!

I learned new mobilization techniques that will be very helpful. I learned the phases of baseball pitching and good body mechanics required to have better velocity and decrease risk of injuries.
Hutchinson, KS
Thank you so much for coming to Kansas and teaching us. It was not only incredible to learn so much but to learn from incredible humans who were so positive. It was one of the best experiences I could have asked for.
Hutchinson, KS

Top Takeaways

  • Understand the proper mechanics and phases of throwing.
  • Look for breakdown of throwing mechanics that can lead to injury.
  • Learn manual techniques to find the drivers of pain that can limit the everyday thrower.

What makes this course great?

We have fun in this course with live throwing demonstrations and video analysis that anyone can learn then use the next day!

Course Objectives

At the completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Recognize 3 biomechanical characteristics that contribute to increased injury risk in the arm of the overhead athlete
  • Given a mechanical fault in the performance of the overhead sports movement, provide 2 biomechanical contributors to the mechanical fault
  • Recognize 3 sociocultural factors that contribute to the development of chronic/overuse injuries in the overhead athlete
  • Identify 3 postural characteristics common in the presentation of the overhead athlete
  • Given a specific joint/tissue dysfunction, provide 2 biomechanical contributors and 2 biomechanical consequences for the respective sport
  • Define the role of 3 different core muscles in the transfer of energy from the lower extremity to the upper extremity
  • Define the role of 3 different scapular muscles in the transfer of energy from the trunk to the arm
  • Correctly identify and perform mobilization/release of 3 scapular muscles
  • Correctly identify and perform mobilization/release of 3 trunk and/or hip muscles
  • Properly execute a functional strength assessment of upper extremity, lower extremity and trunk
  • Identify a dysfunctional movement pattern during functional movement assessment
  • Develop 2 motor retraining exercises that addresses dysfunctional movements identified during your movement/manual assessment
  • Develop 2 dynamic exercises that would reinforce motor retraining

Course Instructors

Christopher Hagedon

PT, DPT, AT, ATC, CIMT

Christopher graduated from Central Michigan University with his B.S. in athletic training/sports medicine and then continued on at CMU to complete his doctorate in physical therapy. He holds active licenses as an athletic trainer and physical therapist. Early in his career, he began taking courses with Great Lakes Seminars and completed his certificate in integrated manual therapy through GLS. Christopher enjoys working with patients and athletes of all ages and is a clinic director for Probility Physical Therapy in southeast Michigan, where he also helps provide AT coverage to local schools and teams. He combines his sports medicine and exercise background with the integrated "test-treat-retest" method of GLS to help reset patients' systems, improve their motor control, and allow them to reach their functional goals. He focuses on caring for the whole patient and getting to know them as an individual. Originally from the thumb of Michigan and now residing in Jackson County, Christopher loves all seasons of Michigan. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys spending as much time as possible with his wife, daughter, and their two dogs.

Christopher Hagedon

Course Outline

Saturday

7:30am

Breakfast

8:00am

Lecture: Introduction, normal and abnormal biomechanics of the throwing motion, common dysfunctions in overhead athletes, regional interdependence, mobilizations, MFR

10:15am

Lecture: non-throwing overhead sport considerations, treatment progression, functional assessment of the trunk, hips, and scapula, anatomy review

12:00pm

Lunch (on your own)

1:00pm

Lab: MFR and mobilizations for the trunk and hips

3:15pm

Lab: Motor retraining exercises for the trunk and hips

4:00pm

Lab: MFR and mobilizations for the cervical/thoracic spine

5:00pm

Lab: Review of evidence-based literature

5:30pm

Adjourn

Sunday

7:30am

Breakfast

8:00am

Review and discussion of considerations for youth sports

8:30am

Lab: MFR and mobilizations for the upper quarter

10:15am

Lab: Motor retraining exercises for the upper quarter

11:00am

Lab: Functional assessment of the scapula

12:00pm

Lunch (on your own)

1:00pm

Lab: Dynamic exercises for the upper extremity and scapula

2:00pm

Lab: Dynamic exercises for the trunk and hips

3:00pm

Lab: Functional assessment of the trunk and hips

4:00pm

Lab: Case study and speed mobilization review

4:30pm

Lab: Review of evidence-based literature

5:00pm

Adjourn

Course PDF

Course Brochure PDF

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