Test Your Knowledge: Physical Therapist Management of Individuals Who Swim, Golf, Throw, and Play Softball

Question Title

* 1. You are attempting to assess a swimmer's transverse abdominis strength. Which of the following exercises would be most appropriate for this purpose?

Bird dog.

Crunches.

Oblique twists.

Dead bug.

Question Title

* 2. A golfer is referred to you to evaluate pain in their left (lead) hip. While taking the history, the golfer mentions that they experience pain and stiffness in the lead hip at the finish of the golf swing. A pinching pain is also present in the left hip when in a deep squat to read the green. Which of the following impairments are most likely to be present?

Decreased left thoracic rotation range of motion; decreased left hip internal rotation range of motion.

Decreased right thoracic rotation range of motion; decreased left hip external rotation range of motion.

Decreased right thoracic rotation range of motion; weakness of left gluteus medius.

Decreased left thoracic rotation range of motion; decreased left hip external rotation range of motion.

Question Title

* 3. What is the most frequently attributed cause of injury in the throwing athlete?

General conditioning.

Throwing volume.

Growth spurts.

Throwing mechanics.

Question Title

* 4. A 16-year-old pitcher has been seeing you for biceps tendinopathy. She is about to start a return to pitching program, but being the primary pitcher on the staff, she is concerned that her shoulder pain may return once she returns to the lineup. Before she injured her shoulder, she was pitching about 4-5 full games during the 3-day tournaments (~ 550-600 pitches in 3 days, excluding warm-up repetitions). She also notes that she only occasionally takes a day off from pitching every few weeks. What recommendations/changes would you make about this pitcher's volume as she returns to sport?

Recommend 1 day off a week. The windmill pitch is a 'natural motion.' So long as she is icing to decrease inflammation after games, her volume is sustainable.

Recommend 1 day off a week, and should not pitch more than 4 consecutive days, with a maximum of 150 pitches a day.

Recommend 1 day off a week, no more than 2 consecutive days of pitching, with a maximum of 80 pitches on day 1, and 100 pitches on day 2.

Recommend 1 to 2 days off a week, no more than 3 consecutive days of pitching, with a maximum of 100 pitches on day 1, 140 pitches combined for days 1 and 2, and a maximum of 100 pitches on day 3.