This study examined whether an upper body strength training program would reduce pain levels in intercollegiate baseball players following an intense throwing session. Nineteen varsity players, ages 18 to 22, volunteered for the study as part of their preseason fall practice. Eleven were randomly assigned to the training group and 8 to the control group. After 8 weeks of strength training for the training group, both groups participated in a maximal throwing session followed by pain measurements for the elbow and shoulder recorded with a 10-cm visual analog scale. Pain levels were measured in the elbow and shoulder area at 24, 48, and 72 hours following the maximal throwing session. There were significant (p < 0.05) differences for groups at the 24-, 48-, and 72-hr time intervals with regard to mean shoulder pain, but no significant differences with reference to elbow pain levels. Future research should focus on in-season training programs and the effect of actual game situations on pain levels.
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