Pitchers + throwing athletes
Baseball and softball athletes managing shoulder or elbow pain, reduced throwing tolerance, or a return after time away from the field.
Book assessmentThrowing and Overhead Athlete Rehab · Colorado Springs
Rebuild the arm.
Prepare the athlete.
Specialized shoulder and elbow rehabilitation for baseball pitchers and overhead athletes—from the initial injury or post-operative phase through a progressive return to throwing, practice, and competition.
Every stage. One provider.One-on-one care led by Dr. Matthew Oliver, PT, DPT.
Rehabilitation + return to performance
A plan built around
what your arm must do.
Your next step may be lifting your arm comfortably, rebuilding after surgery, or trusting your arm on the mound. COR1 starts with your current needs and builds toward the demands of your sport.
Care connects shoulder and elbow rehabilitation with strength, rotational power, and progressive sport exposure. Athletes and parents receive clear priorities and an explanation of what comes next.
Who we help
Built for the overhead athlete.
Overhead sports
Volleyball, tennis, swimming, and other athletes who need to rebuild tolerance for repeated overhead efforts.
Shoulder injury rehabilitation
Individualized care for rotator cuff and biceps-related pain, labral injuries, and shoulder instability, guided by the athlete’s evaluation and diagnosis.
Elbow pain + throwing injuries
Assessment and rehabilitation for elbow pain with throwing, flexor-pronator muscle and tendon injuries, and UCL injuries, with orthopedic coordination when needed.
Youth throwing-arm pain
Age-appropriate evaluation for young athletes with shoulder or elbow pain. Growth-related concerns and suspected bone or growth-plate injuries prompt medical coordination before a return-to-throwing plan.
Post-operative recovery
Early rehabilitation through advanced sport preparation after shoulder or elbow surgery, including UCL repair or reconstruction (Tommy John surgery), coordinated with the surgeon’s precautions and milestones.
The COR1 pathway
Four phases. An individual pace.
Assess
Understand the injury, throwing or overhead workload, season, goals, and medical guidance. Establish a baseline for symptoms, motion, strength, and confidence.
Restore
Address pain, mobility, and early strength needs. After surgery, respect healing and the surgeon’s restrictions while building the foundation for the next phase.
Reload
Progress shoulder, elbow, and forearm strength, endurance, arm deceleration, and whole-body power. Introduce faster, more demanding work as the athlete demonstrates readiness.
Return
Build an individualized progression into throwing or overhead practice, then competition. Adjust the plan using workload, recovery, testing, and medical guidance.
Assessment + meaningful checkpoints
Make progress visible.
Testing is selected for the athlete’s stage and repeated when it can guide a decision. Findings are interpreted alongside symptoms, sport demands, healing, and training response.
A throwing shoulder does not need to look identical to the other side. We consider the athlete’s history and sport-specific adaptations when interpreting comparisons.
- 01Shoulder rotation, elbow motion, and overhead mobility
- 02Rotator cuff strength and shoulder endurance
- 03Elbow, forearm, wrist, and grip strength as appropriate
- 04Shoulder blade control and upper-body capacity
- 05Trunk rotation, hip mobility, and lower-body strength
- 06Symptoms during activity and recovery afterward
- 07Sport workload, confidence, and readiness for the next step
For baseball pitchers
A deliberate return
to the mound.
Throwing distance, effort, volume, and frequency are planned together. The starting point and pace depend on the injury, recovery, and medical guidance.
This pathway is adapted for position players and for the serving, hitting, or swimming demands of other overhead athletes.
- 01
Prepare to throw
Build the mobility, strength, control, and tolerance needed to begin a throwing progression when medically appropriate.
- 02
Rebuild throwing exposure
Progress controlled throwing with defined workload and recovery expectations. Review shoulder and elbow symptoms and recovery before adding demand.
- 03
Introduce mound work
For pitchers, transition toward bullpens and more game-specific demands as readiness allows.
- 04
Prepare for competition
Coordinate practice, live exposure, and a gradual competition workload with the athlete and, when authorized, the coach and care team.
Clinical care. Baseball experience.
Led by Dr. Matthew Oliver,
PT, DPT.
Matthew earned his undergraduate degree in Sports Medicine at Pepperdine University, where he worked with Division I baseball athletes on rehabilitation and performance.
At COR1, that experience informs one-on-one care that connects the athlete’s injury, training, and return to the field.
Meet MatthewFrequently asked questions
Questions parents ask before starting.
01Can we start soon after an injury or surgery?+
Yes. COR1 provides initial injury evaluations and early post-operative rehabilitation as well as advanced return-to-sport work. Following surgery, care follows the procedure-specific precautions and guidance from your surgeon.
02Is this only for baseball pitchers?+
No. COR1’s Throwing and Overhead Athlete Rehab program also supports baseball position players, softball players, volleyball and tennis athletes, swimmers, and other overhead athletes. The plan reflects the demands of each sport.
03Do you treat elbow pain and UCL injuries?+
Yes. Care can address throwing-related elbow pain, forearm muscle and tendon injuries, and rehabilitation for diagnosed UCL injuries. After UCL repair or reconstruction, progression follows the surgeon’s restrictions and the athlete’s recovery. An evaluation helps determine whether further medical assessment is needed.
04How long does rehabilitation take?+
The timeline depends on the injury or procedure, healing, starting capacity, and response to rehabilitation. Your assessment establishes priorities and milestones; a fixed number of weeks is not a promise of readiness.
05What determines when throwing can resume?+
The decision combines medical guidance, appropriate motion and strength, symptoms, and tolerance for preparatory work. Throwing then progresses in stages, with recovery reviewed between exposures.
06Can you coordinate with our surgeon, athletic trainer, or coach?+
Yes, with your authorization. Communication helps align rehabilitation restrictions, practice expectations, throwing workload, and the next steps toward competition.
Start with COR1
Give your arm a clear path back.
Start with an individual assessment and a plan built around your sport, your recovery, and your next step.