102. Stretching for shoulder pain - Is it time to put sleeper stretches to bed? with Jo Gibson

Do you include stretches in your treatment of shoulder pain? Have you ever identified a glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) and used the "Sleeper stretch" to help improve internal rotation? Do stretches have any value for shoulder pain, or are there better treatment options? In this podcast, Jo Gibson (Clinical Physiotherapy Specialist) discusses how to differentiate true capsular stiffness from muscle stiffness, what information GIRD provides, and whether sleeper stretches for shoulder pain are a useful treatment. Jo explores the current research and clinical implications on your treatment, including: What is the driver of decreased range of movement (ROM)? If we get immediate changes in ROM with a sleeper stretch, does that mean we should use this as a treatment? Is stretching an effective, efficient and evidence-based treatment? Can we use strengthening movements to improve range and cuff recruitment? What exercises can you use with patients with GIRD to improve ROM and cuff recruitment? Humeral retroversion and how torsional load from throwing sports at a young age impact your ROM assessment. If you have a patient with GIRD, what does this tell you? In patients with true capsular stiffness, does stretching in combination with damp heat have a role? Does eccentric strengthening have a role in improving GIRD in patients with true capsular stiffness or fibrosis? How can you use GIRD to monitor your athletes fatigue and recovery? Links associated with this episode: Download and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Download the podcast now using the best podcast app currently in existence - Overcast Listen to the podcast on Spotify Improve your diagnosis of acute shoulder pain with 3 free videos with Jo Gibson Improve your confidence and clinical reasoning with a free trial Clinical Edge membership Let David know what you liked about this podcast on Twitter Review the podcast on iTunes Like the podcast on Facebook Infographics by Clinical Edge Jo Gibson on Twitter Articles associated with this episode: CLICK HERE to download the articles associated with this podcast Hall K, Borstad JD. Posterior Shoulder Tightness: To Treat or Not to Treat?. journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy. 2018 Mar;48(3):133-6. Keller RA, De Giacomo AF, Neumann JA, Limpisvasti O, Tibone JE. Glenohumeral internal rotation deficit and risk of upper extremity injury in overhead athletes: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Sports health. 2018 Mar;10(2):125-32. Mine K, Nakayama T, Milanese S, Grimmer K. Effectiveness of stretching on posterior shoulder tightness and glenohumeral internal-rotation deficit: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Journal of sport rehabilitation. 2017 Jul 1;26(4):294-305.