The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of shoulder eccentric exercise training on shoulder mobility, rotator cuff strength, pain and dysfunction, scapular kinematics and muscle activation in symptomatic overhead athletes with posterior shoulder tightness.
Overhead athletes commonly have posterior shoulder tightness due to repetitively high tensile loading during overhead throwing. However, intervention studies focused on posterior shoulder tightness in people with subacromial pain are still limited. Additionally, eccentric exercise was thought to improve the eccentric strength and neuromuscular control of posterior shoulder muscles to endure repetitively eccentric loading, which may improve posterior shoulder tightness and decrease the risk of subacromial pain. Nevertheless, no previous study investigated the influence of eccentric exercise on posterior shoulder tightness in overhead athletes. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of shoulder eccentric exercise training on shoulder mobility, rotator cuff strength, pain and dysfunction, scapular kinematics and muscle activation in symptomatic overhead athletes with posterior shoulder tightness.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
40
Three eccentric-focused exercises: 1. Shoulder external rotator eccentric contraction in shoulder abduction 90 degree 2. Shoulder external rotator eccentric contraction in shoulder abduction 0 degree 3. Shoulder abductor eccentric contraction in shoulder abduction 90 degree
1. Modified sleeper stretch 2. Modified cross-body stretch
Hot pack application on shoulder region
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Taipei, Beitou, Taiwan
RECRUITINGShoulder range of motion (measured with goniometer)
Shoulder external rotation, internal rotation, horizontal adduction range of motion in shoulder flexion 90 degrees
Time frame: 4 weeks
Rotator cuff functional strength ratio (Pro 4, Biodex Medical Systems, Inc., Shirley, NY, USA)
Eccentric strength of shoulder external rotator and concentric strength of shoulder internal rotator are measured with isokinetic
Time frame: 4 weeks
Shoulder pain
Pain is measured with Visual Analogue scale (VAS) Score range from 0 to 10. Scoring of 0 represents no pain and scoring of 10 represents pain as bad as it could possibly be.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Shoulder function
Shoulder function is measured with Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire (DASH) Score range from 0 to 100. The higher of the score, the more disability.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Shoulder endurance test
Participants will be instructed to execute a shoulder endurance test with the theraband®. Participants are asked to place their tested arm in a shoulder forward flexion 90-degree position, holding a 1-m long theraband® fixed at shoulder height on a graduated stick. Then, they are asked to pull the theraband® from the starting position to a 90-90 ending position at an alternated cadence given by a metronome. Males were asked to pull a green theraband® (2.1 kg) and females a red theraband ® (1.7 kg).
Time frame: 4 weeks
Electromagnetic tracking system (Liberty electromagnetic tracking system, Polhemus , Colchester, VT,)
Scapular kinematics during shoulder elevation task in scapular plane
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Massage for upper trapezius
Time frame: 4 weeks
Surface electromyography (TeleMyo 2400T G2, Noraxon USA Inc., Scottsdale, AZ, USA)
Muscle activation of infraspinatus, upper trapezius, lower trapezius and serratus anterior during shoulder elevation task in scapular plane
Time frame: 4 weeks