Clinical Diagnosis of Scapular Dyskinesis in a Youth Softball Pitcher: A Case Report.
Connor Skoumal, Matt Dewald
PMID 38313669WHAT IT FOUND
A youth softball pitcher with shoulder pain and a scapular dyskinesis diagnosis received seven weeks of physical therapy.
Her strength and scapular test improved, but she still had pitching discomfort. Five months later she reported no pain after home exercises and gradual pitching.
Key findings
01The pitcher reported shoulder pain after pitching, and examination found limited right shoulder passive internal rotation.
02Following seven weeks of physical therapy, isokinetic shoulder rotation measures improved and the Scapular Dyskinesis Test was normal, but she still had discomfort with pitching.
03About five months later, she reported no pain with pitching after continuing a home exercise program and a progressive return to pitching.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
This is a single case report, so it cannot show that the treatment works. Many treatment components were given together, so the contribution of any one component cannot be separated. The subject still had discomfort with pitching after seven weeks, and the improvement at five months was self-reported. Scapular dyskinesis has inconsistent definitions and can occur without symptoms, so the diagnosis may not identify the cause of pain. No control group, randomisation, or blinded comparison was used. Pitch count and lower extremity strength were not assessed. No validated shoulder-specific outcome measure was used.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest. No funding source is stated.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that treating scapular dyskinesis resolves youth softball shoulder pain. It describes a pitcher who received many treatment components and still had discomfort after seven weeks. Her later pain-free pitching cannot be attributed to any single intervention.