Effect of Preventive Exercise Programs for Swimmer's Shoulder Injury on Rotator Cuff Torque and Balance in...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• Competitive swimmers frequently develop rotator cuff strength imbalances during the season.
• These imbalances are a significant risk factor for developing swimmer's shoulder injuries.
• Clinical Trial Registration: NCT06552585.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of two distinct 12-week preventive exercise programs.
• To assess the impact on shoulder rotators' peak torque and conventional/functional ratios in swimmers.

Main Methods:

• A 12-week, three-arm, parallel randomized controlled trial involving 16-35 year old competitive swimmers.
• Experimental groups performed exercises with either weights or elastic bands twice weekly.
• A control group underwent a sham intervention; all assessments were blinded.

Main Results:

• Experimental groups showed minimal reductions in rotator peak torque compared to the control group.
• Swimmers completing the prevention programs exhibited reduced conventional/functional ratio imbalances.
• Isokinetic dynamometry assessed dominant shoulder internal and external rotator peak torque at various speeds.

Conclusions:

• A 12-week preventive exercise program effectively mitigates progressive shoulder rotational imbalance in competitive swimmers.
• These programs are crucial for injury prevention strategies in this athletic population.