HOW TO PREVENT SHOULDER PAIN IN WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL?

Abstract

Shoulder injuries are a problem in wheelchair basketball (WB). The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a 12 weeks exercise program for shoulder pain (SP) prevention in elite WB players throughout the preparatory process of an international competition. 13 WB players from the Spanish Women's Pre-Selection (age 26.6 ± 6.1 years) participated in the study. The SP questionnaire was applied before and after the exercise program, as well as functional tests and range of motion (ROM) assessment. SP was reduced significantly after the intervention (Z = -2.93, p≤0.05, d = 0.67). However, there were no significant changes based on the data related to functional tests (p≥0.05) and ROM (p≥0.05). The exercise program used was effective in reducing SP during the sports preparation process, which positively influenced players´ sport performance.