The Thrower’s Shoulder

Abstract

When rehabilitating the thrower’s shoulder it is critical to understand the functional requirements and common adaptions of the athlete. The scapula is a key component when rehabilitating the throwing athlete. The functional demands of the shoulder include restoring muscular balance, training force couples, and incorporating eccentric activities. In addition, proprioception must be normalized throughout the functional range of motion. The athlete must be progressed to overhead activities and trained for power and endurance. The shoulder must also be trained as a component of the kinetic chain along with the hips, legs, and trunk. Finally, common adaptions such as a loss of glenohumeral internal rotation may result in several common pathologies in the throwing population and must be addressed comprehensively. Upon completion of a rehabilitation program, the athlete, when meeting the appropriate criteria, will begin an interval throwing program. The throwing program should be individualized. It should be age, competitive level, and position specific.