410 - CARING FOR THE PITCHER'S ARM

1. When warming up before a game do not wear your jacket.
2. During a game wear a jacket, except when you are on the mound. This will
     help keep your arm from stiffening up.
3. Before doing any kind of pitching do the following:
    (A) Jog around the park, this get the blood flowing faster into the muscle
     tissue. This helps loosen the muscles and joints.
    (B) Complete stretching program.
4. If, any part of your body is injured that could cause you to alter your
    mechanics, then pitching should be avoided.
5. There is a fine line between pain and fatigue, do not throw if you are in pain.
6. Get sufficient rest between outings. You may need as much as 3 to 5 days
    to allow your body to recover from the stress of a pitching outing.
7. After a pitching performance, applying ice to the arm and shoulder area will
    help the blood vessels in the muscles that have been damaged to heal
    quicker.
8. The day after pitching always play light catch 25-30 feet apart for about ten
    minutes. This will help by stretching the muscles and clearing lactic acid.

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