The Effectiveness of an Exercise Program on Scapulohumeral Rhythm, Range of Motion, and Stability in Young Female Handball Players

Medical University of Gdansk

Status

Invitation-only

Conditions

Female Athlete

Scapular Dyskinesis

Handball Players

Treatments

Other: Experimental: Exercise Program

Other: Control: Exercise Program

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT06875596

KB/42/2025

Details and patient eligibility

About

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of a shoulder girdle exercise program in improving stability, range of motion, and motor control in female handball players.

Full description

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a structured shoulder girdle exercise programme on stability, range of motion (ROM) and motor control in female handball players. The study will be conducted over a period of 8 weeks and will involve 60 participants aged 17-30 years recruited from professional handball clubs. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the experimental group, which will follow a modified version of the Watson programme, or the control group, which will continue with their standard training programme. Aims: - To compare the effects of the upper scapular rotation-oriented exercise intervention with a standardised upper extremity exercise programme. - Scapulohumeral rhythm assessment: To assess scapulohumeral rhythm at different angles of shoulder flexion (30°, 60°, 90° and 120°) in young female handball players, with a focus on identifying potential asymmetries between the dominant and non-dominant limbs. - Analysis of scapular kinematics: To measure scapular upward rotation, anterior/posterior tilt and medial/lateral translation at different degrees of shoulder flexion to identify movement patterns associated with scapular dyskinesis. - Functional stability analysis: To assess upper extremity functional stability using the Y-Balance Upper Quarter Test (YBT-UQ) and the Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test pre- and post-exercise to identify potential correlations between stability improvements and changes in scapular rhythm and muscle activation. - Isometric strength measurement: To evaluate isometric strength in shoulder abduction, internal rotation and external rotation using the Lafayette HHD handheld dynamometer to assess the impact of the intervention on shoulder muscle performance.

Enrollment

60 estimated patients

Sex

Female

Ages

16 to 45 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Healthy individuals with no reported health problems
No history of shoulder or elbow surgery within the past 2 years
Received information about the study
Written consent from the participant to participate in the study, including video recording and photography

Exclusion criteria

Injury or trauma to the upper extremity within the past 3 months
Illness that prevents participation in the study or tests
Heavy physical activity of the shoulder girdle within 2 hours prior to the study
Orthopedic surgery or physiotherapy treatment of the shoulder girdle