NCT07072091

Brief Summary

Shoulder pain can be common in overhead sports, and in particular, in volleyball. Different physiotherapy protocols can be adopted depending on the suspected pathophysiological mechanisms. Despite most of the protocols rely only on the shoulder district, some research suggests that treating the whole-body might produce better results as it could influence kinematic chains and correct muscle imbalances. The aim of this study will be to compare the effects of two physiotherapy protocols (shoulder focus or whole body) compared to only education without physiotherapy.

Trial Health

57
Monitor

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Enrollment
40

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Jul 2025

Shorter than P25 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

May 30, 2025

Completed
2 months until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

July 18, 2025

Completed
2 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

July 20, 2025

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

September 1, 2025

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

September 1, 2025

Completed
Last Updated

August 14, 2025

Status Verified

August 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

1 month

First QC Date

May 30, 2025

Last Update Submit

August 11, 2025

Conditions

Shoulder PainVolleyball Players

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Isometric strength with handheld dynamometer (Newtons)

    Isometric strength during shoulder flexion, extension, external and internal rotation, bilaterally

    At enrollment and at the end of treatment at 5 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (3)

  • Lateral symmetry (%)

    At enrollement and at the end of treatment after 5 weeks

  • Time of contraction (ms)

    At enrollement and at the end of treatment after 5 weeks

  • Muscle belly displacement (mm)

    At enrollement and at the end of treatment after 5 weeks

Study Arms (4)

Healthy controls

NO INTERVENTION

A convenience sample of healthy volleyball players for cross-sectional comparison

Total body physiotherapy group

EXPERIMENTAL

Physiotherapy intervention consisting in whole body exercise and treatment

Other: Total body physiotherapy

Focus shoulder group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Physiotherapy intervention consisting in shoulder exercise and treatment

Other: Focus shoulder physiotherapy

No physiotherapy group

OTHER

No physiotherapy, only education

Other: Education

Interventions

Total body physiotherapyOTHER

This intervention consists in 5 weeks of 2 x week 60 min sessions of physiotherapy consisting in active exercise performed in upper limb, trunk, and lower limb muscles, in a whole-body approach.

Total body physiotherapy group
Focus shoulder physiotherapyOTHER

This intervention consists in 5 weeks of 2 x week 60 min sessions of physiotherapy consisting in active exercise performed only in the shoulder district, focusing on the trunk-arm muscles.

Focus shoulder group
EducationOTHER

Single education session providing information about posture hygiene and proper warm-up

No physiotherapy group

Eligibility Criteria

Age17 Years - 30 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsChild (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

  • practicing volleyball for at least 5 years with a training volume of minimum 5 h/wk

You may not qualify if:

  • history of previous surgical intervention or fractures on the shoulder or spine

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

University of Trieste - Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology Lab

Trieste, Trieste, 34100, Italy

RECRUITING

Related Publications (2)

  • Jones SD Jr, Safran MR. Current concepts: the hip, core and kinetic chain in the overhead athlete. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2024 Feb;33(2):450-456. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2023.10.009. Epub 2023 Nov 23.

    PMID: 38007174BACKGROUND

  • Erkan R, Telci EA. Impact of Stabilization Exercises on Athletic Performance and Injury Risk in College Volleyball Players. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2025 May 13;20(7):948-957. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2024-0348. Print 2025 Jul 1.

    PMID: 40360147BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Shoulder Pain

Interventions

Educational Status

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

ArthralgiaJoint DiseasesMusculoskeletal DiseasesPainNeurologic ManifestationsSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Socioeconomic FactorsPopulation Characteristics

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
DOUBLE
Who Masked
INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
PhD, Assistant professor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

May 30, 2025

First Posted

July 18, 2025

Study Start

July 20, 2025

Primary Completion

September 1, 2025

Study Completion

September 1, 2025

Last Updated

August 14, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Locations

IT(1)