App for athletes provides information about safe throwing techniques

New technology in medicine often focuses on improving patient health and reducing disease. This month, we highlight an innovative app designed specifically to reduce injuries in throwing athletes. Throw Like a Pro was created in conjunction with James R. Andrews, MD, in response to the high rates of Tommy John surgery and provides information about safe throwing techniques to keep players out of the operating room.

The app includes an overview of baseball throwing injuries, statistics and general guidelines for prevention. The app then divides recommendations into pre-season and in-season sections. In pre-season, videos are included that demonstrate how to perform 5 different stretching exercises and videos of 20 more exercises that should be performed with 10 repetitions, 3 to 4 times per week. The in-season module is similar and also includes a pitch-count tool which can be modified for the patient’s age, rest days and maximum pitches desired and advised.

Matthew Dipaola

Orrin I. Franko

Overall, the app has a high production quality and includes important information from leading surgeons in the field of throwing injuries. The developers estimate a 60% reduction in throwing injuries if used properly. We contacted Dewar Gaines, one of the developers at Abracadabra Health, to ask more about the development of the app.

Matthew DiPaola, MD, and Orrin I. Franko, MD: What motivated your team to focus on creating a mobile app targeting this particular injury in throwing athletes and to approach Dr. Andrews and Kevin Wilk, PT, DPT, FAPTA, for advice?

Dewar Gaines: Dr. Andrews’ reputation in the sports community for injury prevention is exactly why we approached him to start this new company. We wanted to take the advice and expertise of two of the best minds in sports medicine and make it available to the entire world. Dr. Andrews and Dr. Wilk are known for their work with Little League Baseball International and Major League Baseball on injury prevention. We figured because of these relationships and the need to educate the baseball community of the risk factors associated with overuse injuries in baseball that Throw Like A Pro was a great starting point for Abracadabra Health.

DiPaola and Franko: Please share the feedback you have received since the app has been released.

Gaines: People love the application. We were surprised to find a variety of satisfaction ranging from coaches, players and mothers. For example, coaches and players appreciate that the app provides state-of-the-art evidence and can help guide players development and growth. One mother wanted to support her son’s participation in sport, but feared the nearly inevitable injuries that would arise. The app provided a sense of security and guidance for her.

DiPaola and Franko: Who is using the app the most?

Gaines: The folks who are using the app the most are coaches and parents but we are working on some updates that will make kids want to use the app more. We are creating a social media element that will allow young athletes to track the progress of their friends and give them rewards and incentives to follow the recommendations in the app itself.

We are also working on developing a more comprehensive pitch counter that will allow coaches to manage their bullpen from the app. We have some great ideas about how to continue to make the app better and we hope to have each of those built in by the start of the 2015 season.

DiPaola and Franko: Do you have plans to evaluate the outcomes or the effect of this app on the incidence of throwing injuries?

Gaines: People might see pretty quick increases in speed, strength, flexibility and endurance in their throwing arms, but it will be some time before we can say conclusively how much of an effect we are having on injury prevention.

This app is like a seat belt. You aren’t going to get in a wreck every time you get in the car, but if you wear your seat belt every time you get in the car, when you do have an accident it is going to save you. If people use this application, we believe the risk of injury to the throwing arm will decrease by as much as 60%.

DiPaola and Franko: Do you have plans to make any more apps for injury prevention?

Gaines: Yes we definitely do. Ultimately we want to create an app for the 100 most common orthopedic injuries, including other overuse injuries.

Throw Like A Pro is the first app of its kind. The costs of medical visits are increasing, physical therapy is becoming more expensive and the future of health care is uncertain. We believe this app provides the gold standard of care in an otherwise bleak background. I like to refer to this app as a “preventative personal care” app. We are arming folks with all the knowledge necessary to keep them out of the operating room and on the playing field.

Disclsoure: Gaines is a developer at Abracadabra Health.