[Chronic shoulder pain in the volleyball attack player]

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Orthopedics
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Shoulder pain is prevalent in competitive volleyball players due to repetitive overhead movements.
• Understanding the biomechanical factors associated with shoulder pain is crucial for injury prevention and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate clinical and sonographic differences between volleyball players with and without shoulder pain.
• To identify potential biomechanical alterations in the shoulder and scapula of injured players.

Main Methods:

• Clinical examination and sonography were performed on 30 competitive volleyball players (15 with shoulder pain, 15 without).
• A control group of 15 non-volleyball players was included for comparison.
• Measurements included pain assessment, history, range of motion, and scapular positioning during specific movements.

Main Results:

• Players with shoulder pain reported an average pain score of 5.1 and a pain history of 2.7 years.
• Pain was often associated with spiking or serving, with causes including inadequate warm-up.
• Significant differences were observed in scapular positioning and shoulder mobility between the pain group and the pain-free group, with the playing arm scapula being lateralized.

Conclusions:

• Volleyball players with shoulder pain demonstrate altered scapular kinematics and reduced shoulder mobility.
• These biomechanical changes, particularly scapular lateralization, may contribute to the development or exacerbation of shoulder pain in overhead athletes.
• Further research into targeted interventions addressing these biomechanical factors is warranted.