Original Article
Shoulder Pain in Iranian Elite Athletes: The Prevalence and Risk Factors

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2012.07.011Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

Shoulder sports injuries are relatively common in athletes who perform highly repetitive motions. The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for shoulder injuries and to analyze how individual and other sport characteristics contribute to the risk of shoulder injuries among 6 overhead sports, those being swimming, rowing, wrestling, basketball, volleyball, and handball.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out on 613 Iranian overhead sports athletes in different collegiate sport fields. Data were collected using different questionnaires. A structured questionnaire including demographics, sport characteristics, and also prevalence and risk factors of shoulder pain was used. Visual analogue scale and Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaires were used to determine the pain intensity and functional disability, respectively.

Results

Point, last 6-month, last year, and lifetime prevalences of shoulder pain were 21.4%, 29%, 38.8%, and 41.6%, respectively. The highest point prevalence was related to the rowing athletes with 31.9% and the lowest for swimming athletes (12.3%). Sex, body mass index, sport level, days of practice per week, and satisfaction with income were found to be significantly correlated with the prevalence of shoulder pain (P < .05 in all instances). For those with shoulder pain, the mean pain intensity and functional disability were 53.8 mm and 15.46%, respectively.

Conclusions

The prevalence of shoulder pain in athletes with highly repetitive overhead motions seems to be high.

Section snippets

Design and Sample

This study was given ethical approval from the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences (grant no 21274–19.11.89). For this cross-sectional study, 630 Iranian elite athletes in different sports fields at the university (ie, swimming, handball, volleyball, basketball, rowing, and wrestling) were randomly invited to participate.

Athletes were included if they were athletes and currently playing in one of the studied sports fields including swimming, handball, volleyball,

Results

A high response rate of 97.3% (n = 613) was obtained from the original eligible sample (n = 630). Allocation of individual research coordinators to each sports field was felt to have helped achieve such a high response rate. Of 630 who returned questionnaires, 17 (2.7%) were excluded according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. Therefore, of the original sample of 630, 613 questionnaires (volleyball, 103; basketball, 88; handball, 138; swimming, 81; rowing, 113; and

Discussion

The results of this cross-sectional study demonstrate that shoulder pain is a common complaint in all 6 sporting groups. A significant correlation was found between the prevalence of shoulder pain and certain factors, those being sex, BMI, years of practice, level of sport, satisfaction with income, and days of practice per week. It appears that highly repetitive and rotational motions and forces exerted on shoulders in different vulnerable positions place the soft tissues at risk for

Conclusion

The results of the present study demonstrate that the prevalence of shoulder pain among college athletes appears to be high and highlights a major health concern. The associations of some risk factors such as sex, BMI, years of practice, level of sport, days of practice per week, and satisfaction with income were highlighted in the current study. Resources should be allocated to prevent injuries, and further research should focus on evaluating the effect of different preventive strategies to

Funding Sources and Potential Conflicts of Interest

The study was financially supported by the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran (grant no. 21274–19.11.89). No conflicts of interest were reported for this study.

Practical Applications

  • Shoulder sports injuries are common in athletes who perform highly repetitive motions.

  • The prevalence of shoulder pain among Iranian elite athletes appears to be high and highlights a major health concern.

  • A significant correlation was found between the prevalence of shoulder pain and sex, BMI, level of

Acknowledgment

The authors thank Dr Martin J. Watson (PhD, MSc, MCSP), senior lecturer, School of Allied Health Professions, University of East Anglia, for his constructive comments in developing this article.

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