Does Scapular Positioning Predict Shoulder Pain in Recreational Overhead Athletes? (original) (raw)

Scapular positioning in overhead athletes with and without shoulder pain: a case-control study

Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 2011

Abnormalities of scapular positioning are considered important risk factors for developing shoulder disorders. This study analyses the scapular positioning pattern in a group of overhead athletes with and without shoulder pain. In a multi-center blinded case-control study, 36 shoulder pain athletes (19 men, 17 women), were compared with 36 unimpaired athletes free of shoulder pain, matched for gender, age, hand dominance and body mass index. The blinded assessor performed visual observation, the measurement of the distance between the acromion and the table, inclinometry and the kinetic medial rotation test for dynamic scapular control in random order. Athletes with shoulder pain demonstrate scapular asymmetry in the sagittal plane, observed visually as anterior tilting on the painful side. Athletes with shoulder pain show a lack of scapular motor control on their painful side in contrast to their pain-free side. No scapular positioning or motor control differences were found in ath...

Assessment of scapular position in patients suffering from shoulder dysfunction

Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2016

Shoulder dysfunction inhibits 80% of competitive swimmers from performing optimally. The most common contributing factor to shoulder dysfunction is an altered scapula position. A standard for the distance between T4 and the medial border of the scapula is lacking. Measurements of the distance between T4 and the root of the scapula were made and the relationship of the distance and the function of trapezius middle fibres at resting length was tested. A Vernier caliper ® (ICC 0.94) was used to measure the distance from T4 to the medial border of the scapula. Exercises and stretches to retrain and strengthen the middle fibres of the trapezius specifically were performed twice a week, scheduled around the swimmers’ regular training and strengthening sessions, for six weeks. The results showed that palpation of the scapula to measure the distance between T4 and the spinal root is reliable and valid. A normalisation index should be used to adjust for body build and posture. Furthermore, ...

The Scapular Contribution to the Amplitude of Shoulder External Rotation on Throwing Athletes

2012

Traditional clinical testing of the shoulder ER imposes a fixed scapula in order to assess the glenohumeral joint, despite the recognized importance of the scapular mobility and stability on shoulder function. Here the scapular contribution to the amplitude of humeral axial rotation (internal and external) was tested on the dominant shoulder of two groups of 12 subjects, the thrower athletes and the non-athletes group. The scapular 3D position recorded at the end-range of GH and TH IR and ER rotations was compared across groups using a mixed-model twoway ANOVA. At the end-range of humeral ER, throwers showed less GH and TH amplitude and a scapula more in retraction. A positive correlation was found between scapular spinal tilt and TH and GH angles at the end-range of ER. The throwers group showed a scapula more in retraction in maximal external rotation of the humerus, and less external rotation in active motion. On volleyball players, the scapula assumed a position of posterior spinal tilt when the humerus was positioned more in external rotation. No such correlation was found in the control group or the handball players group, possibly due to sports adaptation.

Objective classification of scapular kinematics in participants with a history of shoulder pain.

, 2013

Abstract: "The aim of this study was to assess the potential of employing a classification tool to objectively classify participants with clinically assessed movement faults (MFs) of the scapula. Six participants with a history of shoulder pain with MFs of the scapula and 12 healthy participants with no movement faults (NMFs) performed a flexion movement control test of the scapula, while scapular kinematic data were collected. Principal component scores and discrete kinematic variables were used as input into a classifier. Five out of the six participants with a history of pain were successfully classified as having scapular MFs with an accuracy of 72%. Variables related to the upward rotation of the scapula had the most influence on the classification. The results of the study demonstrate the potential of adopting a multivariate approach in objective classification of participants with altered scapular kinematics in pathological groups."

Shoulder Dysfunction Assessment: Self-report and Impaired Scapular Movements

Physical therapy, 2006

Background and Purpose. Shoulder dysfunction is common in various patient populations. This investigation was performed to assess shoulder dysfunction with self-report and performance-based functional measures. Subjects. Fifty men (25 with shoulder dysfunction and 25 without shoulder dysfunction) participated in this study. Methods. Self-report functional disabilities were assessed with the Flexilevel Scale of Shoulder Function (FLEX-SF), and electromagnetic tracking sensors were used to monitor 3-dimensional scapular movements during 4 functional tasks. Results. Relative to the control group, the group with shoulder dysfunction showed significant alterations in scapular movements (averages of 6.9°less posterior tipping, 5.7°less upward rotation, and 2.3 cm more elevation). Scapular kinematics correlated significantly (r) with the Self-report FLEX-SF measure during functional tasks (posterior tippingϭ.454 to .712, upward rotationϭ.296 and .317, and elevationϭϪ.310). Discussion and Conclusion. Functional disabilities were identified with self-report and performance-based functional measures. The inadequate scapular posterior tipping and scapular upward rotation as well as the excessive elevation may have implications in planning intervention strategies for people with shoulder dysfunction. [Lin J, Hanten WP, Olson SL, et al. Shoulder dysfunction assessment: self-report and impaired scapular movements.

Relationship Between Pain, Muscle Strength, Function, and Quality of Life in Overhead Players With Chronic Internal Shoulder Impingement

Function and Disability Journal, 2024

Background and Objectives: This study aims to determine the relationship between pain, muscle strength, function, and quality of life (QoL) in overhead players with chronic shoulder internal impingement syndrome. Methods: Forty-seven overhead players consisting of 15 men, 32 and women (mean age 32.45±7.2) with chronic shoulder internal impingement were enrolled. The pain was measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS). Disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) and shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) questionnaires were used to measure pain and function, and a short form (SF)-36 questionnaire to measure QoL. Muscle strengths were evaluated in both hands with a handheld dynamometer and players were asked to hold the maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) in the middle range for 3 s and rest for 30 s between each test and each contraction was repeated three times on both affected and healthy side and the average of contractions was considered for each side. Results: The study showed a significant relationship between pain, the strength of shoulder muscle groups (-0.354), function (-0.935), and QoL (-0.861) in overhead throwers with chronic shoulder internal impingement syndrome and the strength of internal rotators of the affected shoulder decreased more than others. (P<0.05) Conclusions: This correlational study showed a significant relationship between pain and strength of shoulder muscles and function and QoL in overhead throwers with this syndrome.

Reliability of the sitting hand press-up test for identifying and quantifying the level of scapular medial border posterior displacement in overhead athletes

International journal of sports physical therapy, 2011

The lack of proper scapular kinematics can limit the function of the entire shoulder complex.(1,3) Many forms of scapular dyskinesis have been proposed along with tests to measure for the position and motion associated with those positional and movement faults (2,4-6). While scapular internal rotation has been listed among the forms of scapular dyskinesis there has not been a reliable test documented in the literature that examines this motion. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an innovative scapular medial border posterior displacement measurement device has adequate inter-rater and intra-rater reliability when used at rest and during the sitting hand press up test. 16 male Division III baseball players free of upper limb injury for the previous 12 months participated in the study. Posterior scapular displacement measures were taken on each subject in a resting static posture and while performing a sitting hand press up test. Subjects were tested twice within 24 ho...

Shoulder Pain in Iranian Elite Athletes: The Prevalence and Risk Factors

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2012

Objective: Shoulder sports injuries are relatively common in athletes who perform highly repetitive motions. The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for shoulder injuries and to analyze how individual and other sport characteristics contribute to the risk of shoulder injuries among 6 overhead sports, those being swimming, rowing, wrestling, basketball, volleyball, and handball. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 613 Iranian overhead sports athletes in different collegiate sport fields. Data were collected using different questionnaires. A structured questionnaire including demographics, sport characteristics, and also prevalence and risk factors of shoulder pain was used. Visual analogue scale and Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaires were used to determine the pain intensity and functional disability, respectively. Results: Point, last 6-month, last year, and lifetime prevalences of shoulder pain were 21.4%, 29%, 38.8%, and 41.6%, respectively. The highest point prevalence was related to the rowing athletes with 31.9% and the lowest for swimming athletes (12.3%). Sex, body mass index, sport level, days of practice per week, and satisfaction with income were found to be significantly correlated with the prevalence of shoulder pain (P b .05 in all instances). For those with shoulder pain, the mean pain intensity and functional disability were 53.8 mm and 15.46%, respectively. Conclusions: The prevalence of shoulder pain in athletes with highly repetitive overhead motions seems to be high. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2012;35:541-548)