OPEN KINEMATIC CHAIN EXERCISES FOR SICK SCAPULA IN COMPETITIVE ASYMPTOMATIC OVER HEAD ATHLETES FOR 3 WEEKS

Background and Objective: SICK scapula may result in ineffective energy transfer, placing added stress on the tissues around the shoulder which must compensate for a weak link in the chain. This added stress may result in further muscle fatigue and tissue injury about the shoulder. Restoring and maintaining a stable scapular base is essential to rehabilitating the shoulder and returning to the sport. So the present study intends to study the effectiveness of open kinematic chain exercises on asymptomatic overhead athletes with SICK scapula. Methods: In the present experimental study 20 participants were included and received open kinematic chain exercise (OKC) protocol for 4 sessions per week for 3 weeks for 60 minutes with 20 minutes of warm and 10 minutes of cool down respectively. Pre and post intervention of Lateral Scapular Slide Test (LSST), Range of motion (ROM), Pectoralis muscle length, Davies Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Test (CKCUEST) and Functional Throwing Performance Index (FTPI) were assessed. Results: Pre and post intervention characteristics were analyzed by paired t test was done. The results showed significant improvement after 3 weeks of intervention in outcome measure LSST, FTPI, ROM, CKCUEST and Pectoralis Muscle Length. The level of significance was set at p