Prevalence and associated factors of nontraumatic shoulder pain during spike and serve movements in male high school volleyball players: a cross-sectional study.

Background/hypothesis: Nontraumatic shoulder pain is a prevalent issue among male high school volleyball players, yet prior research has often limited its assessment to isolated aspects of shoulder function. This study aimed to identify contributing factors to shoulder pain in this population. We hypothesized that limited shoulder internal rotation (IR) range of motion (ROM), imbalance in rotator cuff muscle strength, intrinsic sensory disturbance, and joint stability are associated with shoulder pain in male high school volleyball players. Additionally, we anticipated that a substantial proportion of players would experience shoulder pain but refrain from reporting it to coaches.

Methods: Forty-nine male volleyball players aged 15-17 years were evaluated between February and June 2023. Questionnaires assessed the prevalence of shoulder pain during spiking and/or serving and the frequency of reporting this pain to coaches. Factors such as acromio-humeral distance, shoulder passive ROM, isometric strength, proprioception, joint stability (Upper Quarter Y-Balance Test), joint position sense, and upper extremity power (Seated Medicine Ball Throw Test) were quantified. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore associations between these variables and shoulder pain.

Results: Shoulder pain was reported by 39% of participants, with only 5% communicating it to coaches. Jump serves (odds ratio 1.84, P = .02) and reduced shoulder IR ROM (odds ratio 0.94, P = .03) were associated with shoulder pain.

Conclusion: This study provides critical insights into the prevalence, severity, and factors associated with shoulder pain among male high school volleyball players. The findings underscore the importance of improving athlete-coach communication for early intervention and prevention. Significant associations between jump serves, reduced shoulder IR ROM, and shoulder pain highlight the role of specific volleyball techniques in injury prevention, offering valuable guidance for coaches and trainers in developing targeted interventions to mitigate shoulder pain and enhance player performance.