Stretching the Posterior Capsule of the Shoulder in the Stability and the Throwing Performance in Handball Players

Summary

Introduction: Handball is a sport with a high prevalence of shoulder injuries due to the overuse that causes a glenohumeral internal rotation deficit, and excess of external rotation and scapular dyskinesia. Stretching is essential to restore physiological movement and improve strength.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of a posterior capsule stretching and strengthening of the shoulder and scapular program in handball players from 18 to 37 years old.

Study design: randomized clinical trial, multicenter, single-blind with follow-up period.

Methods: 60 handball players will be randomly assigned to the two study groups (experimental and control). The intervention will last 4 weeks, with 3 weekly sessions with a duration of 21 and 12 minutes each. The study variables will be: range of motion in internal and external rotation (goniometer), throwing speed (Ball Throwing Speed Test), functionality (DASH questionnaire), perceived exertion (Borg scale), glenohumeral stability (CKCUEST y YBT-UQ Test) and the throwing force (Overhead Medicine Ball Throw). The intervention will consist in the application of stretching of the posterior shoulder capsule with an exercise protocol. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov analysis will calculate the normality of the distribution. In case of homogeneity of the groups, with the t-student test of repeated measurements and an ANOVA of repeated averages, the difference between the different evaluations and the intra- and inter-subject effect will be calculated.

Expected results: Improved range of motion of the shoulder, strength and throwing speed after the intervention.

Conditions

• Shoulder Injuries and Disorders

Interventions

OTHER

Experimental

Two exercises will be done to strengthen the external rotation (using elastic bands): standing with 90 degrees of shoulder abduction and elbow flexion and also in standing with the shoulder in neutral position and the elbow flexed to 90 degrees. Subjects will perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions with the band slightly stretched, at a distance of 0.70 m from the wall. Dumbbell exercises will be performed through 4 exercises: flexion in the horizontal plane of 135º, external rotation in lateral decubitus, horizontal abduction with external rotation, and extension in prone position. There will be 5 repetitions each exercise of 3 seconds each, with 2 minutes of rest between exercises.

OTHER

Control

Two exercises will be done to strengthen the external rotation, using elastic bands. The first, standing, with 90 degrees of shoulder abduction and elbow flexion. The second, also in standing, with the shoulder in neutral position and the elbow flexed to 90 degrees. Subjects will perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions with the band slightly stretched, at a distance of 0.70 m from the wall. The band will be subject to a surface, at an equal distance from the subject's elbow to the ground. The repetitions will last one second in concentric external rotation and two seconds in eccentric external rotation, with a rest of 30 seconds between series.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Investigación en Hemofilia y Fisioterapia

  lead NETWORK

Principal Investigators

• Rubén Cuesta-Barriuso, PhD · Universidad Europea de Madrid

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

37 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-03-08

Primary Completion

2019-04-10

Completion

2019-06-20

Countries

• Spain

Study Locations