Shoulder Dysfunction in High School Tennis Players - an exploratory study

Abstract

Previous studies have investigated sports activity related shoulder dysfunction, such as scapular dyskinesis and glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD), mainly in high-level tennis players. The prevalence of these dysfunctions in comparatively low to moderate level tennis players, such as those at the high school level is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of scapular dyskinesis and GIRD at the high school level and identify some of the factors that makes a high school tennis player more susceptible to developing shoulder dysfunction. A survey related to sports-related shoulder dysfunction was developed in collaboration with physical therapists and was completed by twenty-seven high school level tennis players. The results show that players who have more years of experience, played tennis more often on a weekly basis, and were on the varsity team are more likely to develop shoulder pain and dysfunction. The average number of symptoms increased with years of playing experience and a higher frequency of playing tennis every week, with more than 40% of players on the varsity team reporting a decrease in the velocity, control, and arm motion during their serve. While male players reported more symptoms related to pain, decreased performance and strength, female players reported almost three times more occurrence of lower shoulders compared to male players. Players who consistently did workouts for shoulder and back muscles were less likely to develop shoulder pain and dysfunction, regardless of their level of experience and gender.