Comparison Between Functional and Analytic Methods to Strengthen Shoulder Rotators and Scapular Muscles

Functional or Analytic Methods: What is the Best to Strengthen Shoulder and Scapular Muscles?

The objective of the study was to compare analytic, functional and mixed (analytic/functional) methods in strengthening rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers muscles. For that purpose, participants had to follow a strengthening program 3 times a week during 8 weeks.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Strength
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Strengthening exercises

Detailed Description

Each participant was allocated to a group (analytic, functional and mixed groups) in a random way while assuring that the groups were quite similar in morphological data or in performance. The strengthening program has to be performed three times a week during eight weeks by each participant.

The exercises included in the program were chosen among the bests exercises described in literature to active shoulder rotators as well as scapular stabilizing muscles. The analytic group has to perform the following exercises: prone rowing with dumbbell, prone external rotation at 90° of abduction, prone extension, bilateral scapular protraction with dumbbells, eccentric internal rotation at 90° of abduction, external rotation diagonal exercise and single arm shot put medicine ball throw. The functional group performed the same exercises but with a functional component: standard plank rowing, swissball external rotation at 90° of abduction, standard plank extension, bilateral scapular protraction (standard plank + raised feet), eccentric internal rotation 90° of abduction with unipodal glute bridge, external rotation diagonal in an unipodal position and single arm shot put throw with medicine ball in and single arm shot put medicine ball throw. Then, for the mixed group, the program included exercises from the analytic group and other ones from the functional group in equal parts. For all the groups, the exercises aimed to strengthen shoulder rotators were performed five times in a row and the others aimed to strengthen scapular stabilizing muscles were performed fifteen times in a row. The only exception was for the single arm shot put medicine ball throw that was performed ten times. Two series of each exercises were performed during each session, which represent a mean duration of thirty minutes.

At the beginning and at the end of the intervention, three different evaluations were performed :

• Measurement of shoulder rotators strength (with an isokinetic device)
• Measurement of scapular stabilizers strength (with an isokinetic device)
• Measurement of functional performance (with Medicine Ball Throw, CKCUEST, Y Balance Test and a core stability test)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 38
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Liège, Belgium, 4000
    • Université de Liège

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Males aged between 18 and 35 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

• Practicing an overhead sport
• Having an history of shoulder pain or shoulder surgery in the past 12 months

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Analytic group; The participants had to perform analytic exercices for shoulder rotators and scapular stabilizing muscles	Other: Strengthening exercises; The participants had to perform specific exercices 3 times a week during 8 weeks
Experimental: Functional group; The participants had to perform functional exercices for shoulder rotators and scapular stabilizing muscles	Other: Strengthening exercises; The participants had to perform specific exercices 3 times a week during 8 weeks
Experimental: Mixed group; The participants had to perform both analytic and functional exercices for shoulder rotators and scapular stabilizing muscles	Other: Strengthening exercises; The participants had to perform specific exercices 3 times a week during 8 weeks

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Shoulder rotators strength	The strength was measured with an isokinetic device	Change from baseline at 8 weeks
Scapular stabilizing muscles strength	The strength was measured with an isokinetic device	Change from baseline at 8 weeks
Upper Quarter Y Balance Test	A closed-kinetic-chain upper extremity functional test aimed to assess stability and mobility of the shoulder	Change from baseline at 8 weeks
Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test	A closed-kinetic-chain upper extremity functional test aimed to assess coordination and shoulder stability	Change from baseline at 8 weeks
Medicine ball throw	The participants had to throw a 800g-medicine ball as far as possible	Change from baseline at 8 weeks
Core stability test	The participants had to maintain a plank position as long as possible	Change from baseline at 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Liege
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Camille Tooth, ULiège

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 20, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 15, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): January 15, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 9, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 23, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): December 6, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 31, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 26, 2022
• Last Verified: May 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: Functional or analytic

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No