Edmonton, AB-The "sleeper" shoulder stretch is actually just what varsity athletes need to improve shoulder rotation and get back in the game. This could help athletes who play sports such as volleyball, tennis and swimming.
Physical therapist Judy Chepeha, PhD, from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, compared 66 varsity level athletes from the University of Alberta's volleyball, tennis and swim teams with 30 non-competitive university students, to determine if athletes differed from the students in the amount of shoulder rotation they had.
More than 65 per cent of the varsity athletes had an altered shoulder rotation pattern known to place some athletes at risk of shoulder injury.
"People who participate in overhead sports such as volleyball, baseball, swimming and tennis often have pain and limitations in the shoulder due to the repetitive overhead motions in their sports," says Chepeha.
The effectiveness of the sleeper stretch was tested over an eight week time period. Overhead athletes who performed the shoulder stretch showed an 80 percent increase in shoulder rotation compared to athletes who did not stretch. Also, athletes who stretched reported an overall increase in shoulder function over the eight-week treatment time.
"The sleeper stretch is and improvement was reported as early as four weeks," Chepeha says.
Jarron Mueller, a U of A Golden Bears' volleyball player who took part in the study, reported improvements in his shoulder function after performing the stretch exercise.
"You get more shoulder movement and feel more flexible, which is a bonus in sports. Doing the stretch can prevent injuries, which is important because you don't want to miss games due to soreness or stiffness in the shoulder."
Chepeha recently successfully defended this study in her PhD.
About the University of Alberta Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine
As the only free standing faculty of rehabilitation in Canada, the University of Alberta Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine balances its activities among learning, discovery and citizenship (including clinical practice). A research leader in musculoskeletal health, spinal cord injuries and common spinal disorders (back pain), the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine aims to improve the quality of life of citizens in our community. The three departments, Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT) and Speech Pathology and Audiology (SPA) offer professional entry programs. The Faculty offers thesis-based MSc and PhD programs in Rehabilitation Science, attracting students from a variety of disciplines including OT, PT, SLP, psychology, physical education, medicine and engineering.