Effect of a stretching program on overhead athletes with a stiff and painful shoulder

Overhead athletes are more at risk of suffering shoulder injuries or/and developing shoulder pain. Stretching programs have been shown to successfully reduce pain for this population. However no study has provided a global overview of the effects of stretching. The present study evaluated the evolution of the pain, the strength of the shoulder muscles, potential instabilities or lesion of the shoulder as well as the 3D scapular kinematics of 10 overhead athletes having a painful and stiff dominant shoulder. Our results show a significant decrease of the pain and of the positive impingement syndrome tests. The kinematics of the scapula reveals a more upward rotation of the scapula after the stretching, which may reduce the risk of sub-acromial conflicts. The strength of the internal and external rotators of the shoulder is not modified by the program.