The effects of shoulder stabilization exercises and pectoralis minor stretching on balance and maximal shoulder muscle strength of healthy young adults with round shoulder posture.

Only 19 participants were analyzed, and the authors said this makes generalizing difficult. The participants were healthy young adults with rounded shoulder posture and no neck, shoulder, lower back, neurological, or joint disorders, so results may not apply to patients with pain or other conditions. There was no untreated control group, so within-group changes cannot be separated from time or testing effects. The stabilization group received both elastic-band strengthening and pectoralis minor stretching, so the contribution of either component cannot be isolated. The between-group comparisons for balance and maximal shoulder muscle strength were null, so the study does not show one program was better. The paper does not state a primary outcome, and no blinding of participants or the examiner is reported. No follow-up period is reported.

No funding was provided, and the authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to authorship or publication.

Do not conclude that elastic-band stabilization exercises alone improve balance or shoulder strength. The stabilization group also performed pectoralis minor stretching, and the between-group comparisons showed no significant differences for balance or maximal shoulder muscle strength. The study also had no untreated control.