Rehabilitation of Sports Related Shoulder Injuries

Chung, Sun Gun

Abstract

variety of sports activities can result in shoulder injuries either by an accidental strong trauma or by repetitive but cumulative stress for a long period. Based on the huge amount of basic or clinical researches, several mechanisms of repetitive injuries have been suggested: subacromial (external) impingement, internal impingment, and scapular dyskinesia, which are believed to cause or, at least, contribute to the development of rotator cuff injuries, superior labrum anterior posterior lesions, and shoulder intabilities. It has been reported that the pain and disabilities of the shoulder injuries could be prevented or minimized by an appropriate rehabilitation program especially undertaken in the early phase of dysfunctions or injuries. The core components of the rehabilitation program include stretching of the posterior glenohumeral joint capsule, scapular stabilizing exercise, and strengthening the rotator cuff muscles. It is crucial to proceed onto the proper steps of the rehabilitation program as the functional recovery progresses. To gain a strong and sound biomechanics not only on the shoulder but also for the whole body kinetic chain would be the most important factor for the injured athlete to regain his or her previous athletic activities.