Effect of 8-Week Slide Board Training Program on Shoulder Joint Pain and Function and Quality of Life of Male Swimmers with Shoulder Impingement Syndrome

Among sports injuries, due to the involved organs and specific patterns of different sports, shoulder joint injuries are frequently observed. Studies have reported chronic and acute shoulder pain symptoms in 30%–40% of athletes. Among all shoulder injuries, shoulder impingement syndrome is the most common cause of pain and limitation of the function of the shoulder area. This study aimed to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of slide board training on pain, shoulder joint function, and quality of life in male swimmers with shoulder impingement syndrome. The subjects of this research included 30 swimmers with shoulder impingement syndrome selected in an accessible and purposeful manner, divided into two groups of slide board exercises (15 people) and a control group (15 people) to evaluate the subjects’ performance from the close kinetic chain upper extremity stability test, the pain level from the visual the analog scale questionnaire, the quality of life from the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire, and the balance from the Y balance test. Muscle strength measure used a muscular dynamometer, and shoulder joint range of motion measure used a goniometer. Repeated measures ANOVA test analyzed the data at a significance level of p<0.05. The results showed that slide board exercises had a significant effect on pain, functional stability of the shoulder joint, upper limb function, muscle strength, shoulder range of motion, and quality of life (p≥0.05), but no significant difference was in the control group in the pre-test and post-test (p˃0.05). Considering the positive effect of slide board exercises on pain, stability of shoulder joint function, upper limb balance, muscle strength, range of motion of the shoulder, and quality of life, the authors propose using these exercises in the rehabilitation stages of patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. Keywords: shoulder impingement syndrome, shoulder joint function, quality of life, swimmers, slide board training. https://doi.org/10.55463/issn.1674-2974.50.9.1