Overuse in volleyball training/practice: A review on shoulder and spine-related injuries

Abstract

Overuse injuries are predominant in sports involving the repetition of similar movements patterns, such as in volleyball or beach volleyball, and they may represent as much a problem as do acute injuries. This review discusses the prevalence of two of the most common overuse-related injuries in volleyball: shoulder and back/spine injuries. Risk factors and the aetiology of these injuries are illustrated in order to make possible to initiate preventive programme or post-injuries solutions. Data collected from literature showed a moderately higher injury rate for overuse shoulder injuries compared to the back/spine (19.0 ± 11.2% and 16.8 ± 9.7%, respectively). These data could be underestimated, and future epidemiological studies should consider overuse injuries separately from the others, with new methodological approaches. In addition to age, biomechanical and anatomical features of a volleyball technique utilised in game and the amount of hours played are considered as the main risk factors for overuse upper limb injuries, both for professional and recreational athletes. Together with post-injuries solutions, great importance has to be placed on preventive programmes, such as preventive rehabilitation, stretching, adequate warm up, strength-power exercises, etc. Furthermore, it is particularly suggested that coaches and players work together in order to develop new game/training techniques that minimise stresses and range of motion of the principal anatomical structures involved, while maintaining athletes performance.

Shoulder 3D range of motion and humerus rotation in two volleyball spike techniques: injury prevention and performance

“…However, the majority of the shoulder injuries are usually overuse injuries. They account for approximately 19% of all volleyball injuries (Seminati & Minetti, 2013) and result in the greatest time lost from training and competition (Verhagen et al, 2004). Repeated external rotation and elevation shoulder movements are common manoeuvres in volleyball and in other disciplines classified as 'overhead sports'.…”

Injuries and pathologies in beach volleyball players: A systematic review

“…The first one studied back injuries along with shoulder injuries as common pathologies in beach volleyball players (Seminati & Minetti, 2013). A year later, a study on the prevalence of disc degeneration prevalence and spondylolysis (Kulling et al, 2014) established that the most affected spinal levels were L4-5 in 14 (48%) and L5-S1 in 15 players (52%).…”

Incidence, aetiology and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries in volleyball: A systematic review of the literature

“…After deleting duplicates and applying the inclusion criteria to the titles and abstracts, 129 potentially relevant studies were included for the full text review. From those potentially relevant studies, 10 literature reviews were identified (Briner & Kacmar, 1997;Cools, Johansson, Borms, & Maenhout, 2015;Dugas, Chronister, Cain, & Andrews, 2014;Eerkes, 2012;Fong, Hong, Chan, Yung, & Chan, 2007;James, Kelly, & Beckman, 2014;Kox, Kuijer, Kerkhoffs, Maas, & FringsDresen, 2015;Magra, Caine, & Maffulli, 2007;Reeser, Verhagen, Briner, Askeland, & Bahr, 2006;Seminati & Minetti, 2013), while 90 studies were excluded for various reasons: mostly because these were not original studies or had an inappropriate study design, and data were not (solely) about volleyball. Since the reference check of the literature reviews and included studies did result in 5 additional relevant studies, 34 relevant original studies were included in our systematic review: 28 studies describe the incidence and/or prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries (Agel, Palmieri-Smith,der Beek, Bouter, & van Mechelen, 2005;Visnes, Hoksrud, Cook, & Bahr, 2005).…”