صفورا قاسمی

Background: Shoulder impingement syndrome is a common complication that causes pain and disability, functional limitations and reduced quality of life. This syndrome is usually seen in people who are involved in activities and sports involving rotating movements above the head, including bodybuilders. Meanwhile, corrective exercises have been considered as an intervention in the rehabilitation of the condition. Exercises based on National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) principles are known as one of the new methods in the rehabilitation and prevention of sports injuries.Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect and permanence of corrective exercises on pain intensity, functional disability and kinematic parameters of bodybuilders with shoulder impingement syndrome.Materials and Methods: In this semi-experimental research with a pre-test-post-test design, 20 male bodybuilders with shoulder impingement syndrome were randomly assigned in two groups; corrective exercises as the experimental group (n=10) and control group (n=10). Visual Analog Scale (VAS) questionnaire was used for pain intensity. Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire was used for functional disability. Kinovea software was used to kinematic parameters. The evaluations carried out during three stages: the pre-test, the first post-test (after 8 weeks) and the second post-test (after 12 weeks). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a significance level of 0.05 using SPSS version 20 software.Results: The findings showed that after 8 weeks of corrective exercises, there were significant changes in pain intensity and functional disability in the experimental group (P<0.05). Also, significant changes in shoulder biomechanical parameters during flexion, abduction, external rotation and internal rotation movements were observed between the two groups (P<0.05). Permanence of the exercises in the studied variables after 12 weeks showed a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).Conclusion: According to the obtained results, it can be stated that a course of NASM exercises reduced shoulder pain, improved functional disability and improved kinematic parameters in male bodybuilders with shoulder impingement syndrome.