Shoulder pain in overhead throwing athletes is common, and there are many reasons for it. Injuries occur due to extreme shoulder positions, a large number of repetitive movements and the control of large forces to achieve the best possible result. The most risky phase is the stopping phase, when the external rotators of the shoulder are eccentrically loaded.
Due to the wide range of possibilities that can lead to the mentioned shoulder pains, this research was focused on the importance of the mobility of internal and external shoulder rotation in tennis players. We obtained data from 73 tennis players aged between 10 and 29 years. Each completed a questionnaire to provide general information (gender, age, height, weight, BMI, hand dominance), training data, and data on possible shoulder injuries. The active maximum internal and external shoulder rotation was measured with electronic inclinometer. Shoulder injuries were reported by 36 (49 %) tennis players with an average training experience of 8 years and a training frequency of 6x/week.
In the study, we checked whether our subjects had less internal and greater external rotation on the dominant side compared to non-dominant side. This is typical for overhead throwing athletes, which we also confirmed. The main purpose of the research, however, was to determine whether pathological GIRD is associated with shoulder problems, and because several authors define GIRD differently, we selected three and compared them with each other. We also wanted to check whether any other factor, such as training volume, years of tennis practice and gender, is related to shoulder injuries.
Our study did not reveal any statistically significant association between the incidence of shoulder injuries and any other risk factors. We think we could get different results if we captured a larger sample. Nevertheless, we are convinced that due to the complex structure of the shoulder girdle, in the event of an injury, it is necessary to look at the bigger picture and take into account as many factors as possible that can lead to pain or shoulder injuries.
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