The Effects of Eccentric-focused Exercise on Posterior Shoulder Tightness in Symptomatic Overhead Athletes

The Effects of Eccentric-focused Exercise on Shoulder Mobility, Rotator Cuff Strength, Pain and Dysfunction, Scapular Kinematics and Muscle Activation in Symptomatic Overhead Athletes With Posterior Shoulder Tightness

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 Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Posterior Shoulder Tightness
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Eccentric-focused exercises; Other: Stretching exercises; Other: Hot pack; Other: Massage

Detailed Description

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
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: ShaoYang Huang, Master; Phone Number: (886)939878335; Email: kevinhuang870618@gmail.com

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Beitou
    • Taipei, Beitou, Taiwan, 112304
      • Recruiting
      • National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
      • Contact: ShaoYang Huang; Phone Number: (886)939878335; Email: kevinhuang870618@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 20 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participate in overhead sports over 4 hours per week
• Age between 20 to 50 years old
• Glenohumeral joint range of motion deficit: Shoulder internal rotation loss more than 15 degrees compared to the non-dominant side and total arc of motion loss more than 5 degrees or/and horizontal adduction range of motion lo more than 15 degrees compared to the non-dominant side
• Shoulder impingement syndrome criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of shoulder dislocation, fracture and operation
• History of direct contact in upper extremities or cervical region in the past one month
• Shoulder pain or neurological symptom caused by cervical problem
• VAS more than 5 during shoulder elevation
• Receive treatment for posterior shoulder tightness in the past 3 months

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Eccentric-focused exercise group; Three eccentric-focused exercises addition to the general treatment group	Other: Eccentric-focused exercises; Three eccentric-focused exercises: Shoulder external rotator eccentric contraction in shoulder abduction 90 degree; Shoulder external rotator eccentric contraction in shoulder abduction 0 degree; Shoulder abductor eccentric contraction in shoulder abduction 90 degree; Other: Stretching exercises; Modified sleeper stretch; Modified cross-body stretch; Other: Hot pack; Hot pack application on shoulder region; Other: Massage; Massage for upper trapezius
Active Comparator: General treatment group; hot pack application on shoulder region upper trapezius massage two stretching exercises (modified sleeper stretch and modified cross-body stretch)	Other: Stretching exercises; Modified sleeper stretch; Modified cross-body stretch; Other: Hot pack; Hot pack application on shoulder region; Other: Massage; Massage for upper trapezius

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Shoulder range of motion (measured with goniometer)	Shoulder external rotation, internal rotation, horizontal adduction range of motion in shoulder flexion 90 degrees	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	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.	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.	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).	4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Electromagnetic tracking system (Liberty electromagnetic tracking system, Polhemus , Colchester, VT,)	Scapular kinematics during shoulder elevation task in scapular plane	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	4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Yang Ming University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 9, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 22, 2023
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 17, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 22, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): March 31, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 23, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 22, 2023
• Last Verified: March 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Shoulder impingement syndrome; Eccentric exercise; Posterior shoulder tightness
• Other Study ID Numbers: YM110191F

Drug and device information, study documents

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