Stiffness in the left shoulder that interferes with pitching motion in amateur baseball.
symptom
A man in his 20s, who plays amateur baseball, came to the clinic complaining of chronic stiffness in his left shoulder, particularly difficulty with external rotation. This was interfering with his pitching and he felt his baseball performance was declining. He said that the symptoms were more noticeable during movement, and in his daily life, he works a desk job and often experiences headaches. Upon initial examination, palpation revealed limitations in flexion and external rotation of the left shoulder joint, with the strongest tension on the posterior aspect of the shoulder joint, and tension also felt on the anterior aspect. He had not received any diagnosis or treatment at a medical institution before.
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Visitors
Male
20's
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Period
February 2026 - March 2026
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Visit Frequency per week
1
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Number of Visits
1
Treatment and progress
To alleviate tension around the left scapula, acupuncture was first performed on acupoints in the leg, which reduced the tension. Subsequently, since tension remained in the triceps brachii muscle, acupuncture was performed on related acupoints in the back, which relieved the tension. After the first treatment, the patient exclaimed, "It's completely different!" and felt that their shoulder movement had improved. As the symptoms were resolved after just one treatment, the treatment was completed.
Acupressure points used
Summary
This case involves a recreational baseball player who complained of chronic limited movement and difficulty with external rotation of his left shoulder. Treatment aimed at relieving tension around the scapula was performed. Treatment of acupoints on the legs reduced tension in the scapula, and treatment of acupoints on the back relieved tension in the triceps brachii muscle. Symptoms improved after only the first treatment, and the impairment to his throwing motion was eliminated. It is also possible that his posture due to desk work contributed to the problem, and it is presumed that tension around the scapula was affecting his throwing motion. This is a case where treatment of distant areas was effective.
Staff in charge
Kazuhiro Suzaki
Acupuncture clinic for the case:Sunosaki Acupuncture and Osteopathy Clinic
