Forward Shoulder Posture in Collegiate Swimmers: A Comparative Analysis of Muscle-Energy Techniques.
CONTEXT
Empirical data for treating forward shoulder posture supports stretching the anterior shoulder musculature. Although muscle-energy techniques (METs) have been hypothesized to lengthen muscle, no data have described the usefulness of this technique among swimmers.


OBJECTIVE
To determine if an MET provides improvements in resting pectoralis minor length (PML), forward scapular position, and scapular upward rotation in female collegiate swimmers.


DESIGN
Controlled laboratory study.


SETTING
Athletic training room.


PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS
Thirty-nine asymptomatic National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women's swimmers (19 experimental, 20 control).


INTERVENTION(S)
The experimental group received 2 treatment sessions per week for 6 weeks. The control group received no intervention during this 6-week period.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
We administered pretest and posttest measurements for PML, forward scapular position, and scapular upward rotation in positions of rest and 60°, 90°, and 120° of humeral elevation. The MET consisted of a 3-second stretch in the direction of the pectoralis minor fibers, followed by a 5-second isometric horizontal adduction contraction at 25% of maximum force. Immediately after this contraction, the entire sequence was repeated with the muscle being stretched to the new endpoint. A total of 4 cycles of MET were continuously applied per treatment session twice per week for 6 weeks. We conducted 1-way analyses of covariance to determine any between-groups postintervention test differences.


RESULTS
The MET group had a greater increase in PML postintervention (P = .001, effect size = 1.6) and a greater decrease in forward scapular position postintervention (P = .001, effect size = 1.07) compared with the control group. No differences were found for scapular upward rotation (P > .10).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that 6 weeks of MET treatments applied to the pectoralis minor of asymptomatic female swimmers provided improvements in PML and forward scapular position compared with a control group.
['Laudner|Kevin G|KG|', 'Wenig|Melissa|M|', 'Selkow|Noelle M|NM|', 'Williams|Jeffrey|J|', 'Post|Eric|E|']
D005081:Exercise Therapy D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007537:Isometric Contraction D018482:Muscle, Skeletal D011187:Posture D016059:Range of Motion, Articular D012399:Rotation D012540:Scapula D012785:Shoulder Joint D013550:Swimming D014495:Universities D055815:Young Adult
injury prevention manual therapy scapular kinematics