Glenohumeral internal rotation deficit in volleyball players with and without a history of shoulder pain

This study aimed to investigate physiological and pathological Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit (GIRD) in volleyball players with and without a history of shoulder pain. Volleyball players with a history of shoulder pain (n = 18) and without a history of shoulder pain (n = 18), who were matched in age, weight, height, BMI, years of experience and frequency of practice were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Shoulder internal and external rotation Range of Motion (ROM) was measured for the dominant and non-dominant shoulders of each participant using a digital inclinometer. Measurements of GIRD, External Rotation Gain (ERG), and Total Range of Motion (TROM) were calculated. There were significantly higher degrees of GIRD in the pain group (15.65⁰) than the no-pain group (9.06⁰) (p=0.004) and significantly higher differences in the TROM in the pain group (16.17⁰) than the no-pain group (10.17⁰) (p=0.007). There was no correlation between the level of pain and the presented ROM adaptations. The study showed that for volleyball players, pathological GIRD should be defined at 10-18⁰ degrees of GIRD that are accompanied by differences in the TROM that exceeds 8⁰.