Effectiveness of a Posterior Shoulder Stretching Program on University-Level Overhead Athletes: Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To determine whether a posterior shoulder stretch was effective in increasing internal rotation (IR) and horizontal adduction (HAd) range of motion (ROM) in overhead athletes identified as having reduced mobility. Design: Randomized controlled trial (parallel design). Setting: University-based sports medicine clinic. Participants: Thirty-seven university-level athletes in volleyball, swimming, and tennis, with IR ROM deficits ≥15°, were randomized into intervention or control groups. No subjects withdrew or were lost to follow-up. Intervention: The intervention group performed the "sleeper stretch" daily for 8 weeks, whereas the control group performed usual activities. Main Outcome Measures: Independent t tests determined whether IR and HAd ROM differences between groups were significant at 8 weeks and 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance tests measured the rate of shoulder ROM change. Subject-reported shoulder pain and function were obtained at each evaluation. Results: Significant differences were found between the intervention and control groups' IR and HAd ROM at 8 weeks (P

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