Effects of scapular-focused movement-based exercises on sports performance of athletes with scapular dyskinesis: A systematic review

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• P Value: Not reported

• Effect Size: Not reported - narrative synthesis only

• Primary Outcome: Sports performance and shoulder function in athletes with scapular dyskinesis

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Moderate certainty for shoulder function improvement over 6-12 weeks

• Confidence Interval: Not provided

Clinical Application

6-8 week programs with 3 sessions per week appear feasible in athletic populations Relevant to Sports Medicine Australia guidelines and physiotherapy practice, though evidence insufficient for strong PBS-funded intervention recommendations Athletes with scapular dyskinesis, particularly overhead sport athletes aged around 24 years

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Scapular dyskinesis is a common dysfunction among athletes, particularly in overhead sports, leading to pain, reduced range of motion (ROM), and impaired performance. Movement-based exercises are increasingly used to address these issues, but their overall impact on sports performance remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to evaluate the effects of movement-based exercises on sports performance in athletes with scapular dyskinesis. METHOD: A comprehensive search was conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed up to July 30, 2025, following PRISMA guidelines. Data were extracted and assessed for risk of bias using RoB-2 and ROBINS-I tools. A narrative synthesis was performed due to study heterogeneity. RESULTS: Fourteen studies (8 RCTs and 6 non-RCTs) involving 412 participants with a mean age of 23.8 years assessed movement-based interventions lasting from a single session to 24 weeks, primarily focusing on scapular stabilization, kinetic chain control, and proprioception over 6-8 weeks with around three sessions per week. Moderate-certainty evidence suggests that exercise likely improves shoulder function, disability, and glenohumeral range of motion over 6-12 weeks. However, the evidence for pain reduction and improvement in rotator cuff/scapular strength is of low certainty, showing mixed effects depending on the specific program. Evidence for improvement in scapular kinematics is also of low certainty. Sport-specific performance outcomes, such as throwing velocity, remain highly uncertain due to small sample sizes and conflicting results from RCTs. CONCLUSION: Movement-based exercises may be considered by athletes with scapular dyskinesis to potentially improve shoulder function and glenohumeral range of motion; however, the certainty of evidence for effects on pain relief, strength, and sports performance is very low. Therefore, strong recommendations cannot be made at this stage. More tailored programs and well-structured RCTs are needed to clarify these effects.

References

1. 1.Solana-Tramunt, M., Fakoor Rashid, H., Norouzi, N., Dehghan, Y., Khazanin, H., Sadegh, B., Alimoradi, M., Daneshmandi, H., & Alghosi, M. (2026). Effects of scapular-focused movement-based exercises on sports performance of athletes with scapular dyskinesis: A systematic review. *PLoS One*, Article 0344540. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0344540