The Effectiveness of Posterior Shoulder Stretching on Reducing Posterior Shoulder Tightness in Overhead Athletes: A Critically Appraised Topic

Abstract

Clinical Question:Are posterior shoulder stretching programs effective in reducing posterior shoulder tightness, or tightness to the soft tissue of the shoulder, in overhead athletes? Clinical Bottom Line:In overhead athletes, there is high quality evidence to support the use of posterior shoulder stretching to reduce a commonly used measure of posterior shoulder tightness. All three studies1–3 reported an increase in shoulder internal rotation range of motion following implementation of posterior shoulder stretching.