Rehabilitation and Return to Sports After Conservative and Surgical Treatment of Shoulder Injuries

Abstract

Overhead athletes are susceptible to acute as well as chronic shoulder injury, compromising their ability to fully compete. This chapter describes science-based guidelines for shoulder rehabilitation in the overhead athlete, focusing on rotator cuff exercises, scapular muscle training, implementation of kinetic chain variables into functional exercises in sport-specific conditions, and stretching of the posterior shoulder structures. In addition, clinical return-to-play criteria and suggestions for preventive screening and exercise programs are described.