Perfect Pitch Throwing Athlete

Perfect Pitch – Baseball/Softball Program

Wouldn’t you want someone who knows your sport well to be able to get you back in the safest and fastest way possible? Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital Physical Therapy’s Perfect Pitch Program is an all around therapy centered program consisting of injury prevention, rehabilitation, team education, and mechanical analysis available to all Omaha metro baseball and softball athletes and organizations. This program is specifically tailored to the demands of the baseball and softball athlete. NOH PT provides Omaha’s baseball and softball athletes with the best possible instruction and care to reduce the occurrence and re-occurrence of injury and improve overall athletic performance. There are several components to the program including: Education and Pre-season Screening, Treatment of Injured Athletes, and Mechanical Video Analysis.

Education and Pre-Season Screening

The Perfect Pitch Team assists Omaha baseball and softball teams and organizations with ways of preventing injuries in athletes.  We have teamed up with several Omaha metro organizations to help screen athletes that may be at risk of injuries in the future. Screenings consist of flexibility testing, shoulder ROM testing, and core stability testing.  In addition, our Perfect Pitch team gives several educational talks to organizations on topics such as: recognizing and treating baseball/softball injuries, rotator cuff injuries and prevention, youth pitch recommendations and progression, and other therapy related topics.

Injured Athletes

Injuries happen. Whether it’s a sprained ankle from sliding into home, or possible shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis of a thrower, NOH PT’s Perfect Pitch Team physical therapists are highly educated in the performance and demands of baseball and softball and in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries. Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital’s Perfect Pitch program aims to return injured athletes to their sport at or above their previous level of performance. A comprehensive musculo-skeletal evaluation of the athlete helps physical therapists pinpoint causes of injury. Evaluation focuses on physical exam of the trunk and upper body, including shoulder, elbow and wrist. A screening of the entire body looks for other factors contributing to injury. With an understanding of the unique mechanical requirements of throwing and hitting, physical therapists develop an individualized return-to-sport program of sport specific drills to improve strength, mobility and mechanics to prevent further injury. 

Video Analysis

NOH believes that in order to help an athlete safely return to play without reoccurrence of injury all areas of the athlete need to be assessed.  Many of our injured athletes receive high-speed video analysis as part of their evaluation or return to throwing program to evaluate the athlete's throwing, hitting or pitching motion. Therapists have a strong knowledge of baseball and softball mechanics and can sit with the athlete and coaches and determine if there are some mechanical flaws that may be contributing to the injury. If the flaws may be contributing to the injury they help to give tips and often positional and strengthening exercises to correct these so the athlete can return to play once healed and decrease the likelihood of re-occurrence or more serious injury. 

These programs are designed for performance enhancement and injury reduction. It is a very specialized program, and it is not appropriate for all players. For more information about our Physical and Occupational Therapy services, please contact us at 402.609.1750 or email ptot@nohmail.com.

• Jeree Menning P.T., OCS
• Ryan Ertz P.T., DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT