McClure, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2007 - A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Stretching Procedures for Posterior Shoulder Tightness

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A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Stretching Procedures for Posterior Shoulder Tightness

McClure, Wood, et al.·J Orthop Sports Phys Ther·2007·278 citations·RCT

Free Full Text·DOI·PubMed

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Background

Recently, some authors have expressed the belief that the sleeper stretch is better than the cross-body stretch to address glenohumeral posterior tightness because the scapula is stabilized.

Purpose

To compare changes in shoulder internal rotation range of motion (ROM), for 2 stretching exercises, the "cross-body stretch" and the "sleeper stretch," in individuals with posterior shoulder tightness.

Methods

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial.

54 asymptomatic subjects (20 males, 34 females) participated in the study.
The control group (n = 24) consisted of subjects with a between-shoulder difference in internal rotation ROM of less than 10°, whereas those subjects with more than a 10° difference were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 intervention groups, the sleeper stretch group (n = 15) or the cross-body stretch group (n = 15).
Shoulder internal rotation ROM, with the arm abducted to 90° and scapula motion prevented, was measured before and after a 4-week intervention period.
Subjects in the control group were asked not to engage in any new stretching activities, while subjects in the 2 stretching groups were asked to perform stretching exercises on the more limited side only, once daily for 5 repetitions, holding each stretch for 30 seconds.

Results

The improvements in internal rotation ROM for the subjects in the cross-body stretch group (mean ± SD, 20.0° ± 12.9°) were significantly greater than for the subjects in the control group (5.9° ± 9.4°, P = .009).
The gains in the sleeper stretch group (12.4° ± 10.4°) were not significant compared to those of the control group (P = .586) and those of the cross-body stretch group (P = .148).

Conclusions

The cross-body stretch in individuals with limited shoulder internal rotation ROM appears to be more effective than no stretching in controls without internal rotation asymmetry to improve shoulder internal rotation ROM. While the improvement in internal rotation from the cross-body stretch was greater than for the sleeper stretch and of a magnitude that could be clinically significant, the small sample size likely precluded statistical significance between groups.

Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.

A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Stretching Procedures for Posterior Shoulder Tightness

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|

A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Stretching Procedures for Posterior Shoulder Tightness

McClure, Wood, et al.·J Orthop Sports Phys Ther·2007·278 citations·RCT

Free Full Text·DOI·PubMed

|

Background

Recently, some authors have expressed the belief that the sleeper stretch is better than the cross-body stretch to address glenohumeral posterior tightness because the scapula is stabilized.

Purpose

To compare changes in shoulder internal rotation range of motion (ROM), for 2 stretching exercises, the "cross-body stretch" and the "sleeper stretch," in individuals with posterior shoulder tightness.

Methods

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial.

54 asymptomatic subjects (20 males, 34 females) participated in the study.
The control group (n = 24) consisted of subjects with a between-shoulder difference in internal rotation ROM of less than 10°, whereas those subjects with more than a 10° difference were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 intervention groups, the sleeper stretch group (n = 15) or the cross-body stretch group (n = 15).
Shoulder internal rotation ROM, with the arm abducted to 90° and scapula motion prevented, was measured before and after a 4-week intervention period.
Subjects in the control group were asked not to engage in any new stretching activities, while subjects in the 2 stretching groups were asked to perform stretching exercises on the more limited side only, once daily for 5 repetitions, holding each stretch for 30 seconds.

Results

The improvements in internal rotation ROM for the subjects in the cross-body stretch group (mean ± SD, 20.0° ± 12.9°) were significantly greater than for the subjects in the control group (5.9° ± 9.4°, P = .009).
The gains in the sleeper stretch group (12.4° ± 10.4°) were not significant compared to those of the control group (P = .586) and those of the cross-body stretch group (P = .148).

Conclusions

The cross-body stretch in individuals with limited shoulder internal rotation ROM appears to be more effective than no stretching in controls without internal rotation asymmetry to improve shoulder internal rotation ROM. While the improvement in internal rotation from the cross-body stretch was greater than for the sleeper stretch and of a magnitude that could be clinically significant, the small sample size likely precluded statistical significance between groups.

Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.

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