Mitigating the Impact of Shoulder Movement Dysfunction; a Randomized Controlled Trial

Mitigating the Impact of Shoulder Movement Dysfunction; a Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of the proposed work is to screen the effectiveness of an evidence-based, targeted, treatment intervention versus a non-specific, generalized, treatment intervention to treat symptomatic shoulder instability in collegiate swimmers. The results of the study will allow direct observation of treatment effects designed to mitigate the effects of symptomatic shoulder instability. These results will facilitate the optimization of future treatments and interventions.

Currently, there is an unmet need for an effective method to treat shoulder instability. Namely, there is minimal evidence to mitigate the impact of shoulder instability with non-surgical interventions. The presence of shoulder instability can drastically decrease upper extremity function and lead to subsequent shoulder pathology. While there is observational and retrospective evidence to support the use of specific, guided, therapeutic exercise interventions to treat shoulder instability, there are only two randomized controlled trials (RCT) investigating the effects of these types of interventions. While current evidence demonstrates that rehabilitation interventions are capable of decreasing pain and improving self-reported function in individuals with MDI, these investigations include heterogeneous samples and lack thorough investigation of the biomechanical effects of these interventions. The results of this study will allow direct observation of treatment effects designed to mitigate the effects of symptomatic shoulder instability with gold-standard biomechanical techniques. These results will facilitate the optimization of future treatments and interventions. Further, the results will contribute to the current field of musculoskeletal medicine by enhancing biomechanics-based treatment interventions and promote patient-reported outcomes research. The long-term goal of the proposed research is to expand to investigations of treatment effectiveness to more diverse populations and a broader range of movement-related shoulder dysfunctions.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Be an active member of the University of Minnesota Intercollegiate swim team
• Be able to actively raise arm over 150 degrees as measured with a standard goniometer

Exclusion Criteria:

• Are pregnant or are trying to get pregnant
• Are breastfeeding
• Have a previous history of shoulder surgery within the past 12 months
• Have neck pain at the time of enrollment
• Do not speak English