Focusing the Shoulder or Considering the Whole-Body in Volleyball Physiotherapy
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Total body physiotherapy, Focus shoulder physiotherapy, Education.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Shoulder Pain, Volleyball Players. Basic parameters: 17 years — 30 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Italy
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Focusing the Shoulder or Considering the Whole-Body? A Randomized Controlled Trial on Physiotherapy Protocols for the Painful Shoulder in Volleyball Players
Overview
Shoulder pain can be common in overhead sports, and in particular, in volleyball. Different physiotherapy protocols can be adopted depending on the suspected pathophysiological mechanisms. Despite most of the protocols rely only on the shoulder district, some research suggests that treating the whole-body might produce better results as it could influence kinematic chains and correct muscle imbalances. The aim of this study will be to compare the effects of two physiotherapy protocols (shoulder focus or whole body) compared to only education without physiotherapy.
Interventions
- Other Total body physiotherapy
This intervention consists in 5 weeks of 2 x week 60 min sessions of physiotherapy consisting in active exercise performed in upper limb, trunk, and lower limb muscles, in a whole-body approach. - Other Focus shoulder physiotherapy
This intervention consists in 5 weeks of 2 x week 60 min sessions of physiotherapy consisting in active exercise performed only in the shoulder district, focusing on the trunk-arm muscles. - Other Education
Single education session providing information about posture hygiene and proper warm-up
Primary outcome measures
- Isometric strength with handheld dynamometer (Newtons) [Time frame: At enrollment and at the end of treatment at 5 weeks]
Secondary outcome measures (3)
- Lateral symmetry (%) [Time frame: At enrollement and at the end of treatment after 5 weeks]
- Time of contraction (ms) [Time frame: At enrollement and at the end of treatment after 5 weeks]
- Muscle belly displacement (mm) [Time frame: At enrollement and at the end of treatment after 5 weeks]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- practicing volleyball for at least 5 years with a training volume of minimum 5 h/wk
Exclusion criteria
- history of previous surgical intervention or fractures on the shoulder or spine
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Double blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Italy · 1 center
- University of Trieste - Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology Lab — Trieste
Publications
- Jones SD Jr, Safran MR. Current concepts: the hip, core and kinetic chain in the overhead athlete. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2024 Feb;33(2):450-456. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2023.10.009. Epub 2023 Nov 23. PMID 38007174
- Erkan R, Telci EA. Impact of Stabilization Exercises on Athletic Performance and Injury Risk in College Volleyball Players. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2025 May 13;20(7):948-957. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2024-0348. Print 2025 Jul 1. PMID 40360147
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07072091 · DSM_Fisio_SpallaPallavolo25