Journal of Novel Physiotherapies
Open Access

Research Article

Isometric Contraction of Scapular Muscles Activities during Horizontal Abduction and Adduction of the Shoulder

¹Department of Rehabilitation, Kiba Hospital, Medical Corporation, Juzankai 4-2-8, Iwata town, Higashiosaka city, Osaka 578-0941, Japan

²Work Shift Co., Ltd., 1-15-23, Nanpedai, Takatsuki city, Osaka 569-1042, Japan

³Graduate School of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Kansai University of Health Sciences 2-11-1, Wakaba, Kumatori town, Sennan county, Osaka 590-0482, Japan

Corresponding Author:

Dr. Tomohito Ijiri
Department of Rehabilitation, Kiba Hospital
Medical Corporation, Juzankai 4-2-8
Iwata town, Higashiosaka city
Osaka 578-0941, Japan
Tel: +81 72-961-6888
Fax: +81 72-965-2836
E-mail: ijiri@juzankai.com

Received Date: January 17, 2017; Accepted Date: February 04, 2017; Published Date: February 11, 2017

Citation: Ijiri T, Takagi R, Suzuki T (2017) Isometric Contraction of Scapular Muscles Activities during Horizontal Abduction and Adduction of the Shoulder. J Nov Physiother 7:333. doi:10.4172/2165-7025.1000333

Copyright: © 2017 Ijiri T, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Background: Scapular stability is important for shoulder movement; however, the mechanism of scapular stability remains unknown. In addition, activities of scapular muscles have been only evaluated during shoulder elevation, but not extensively observed those of other shoulder movements. We investigated muscle activity, including scapular muscle activity, during horizontal abduction and adduction of the shoulder joint.

Methods: Eighteen healthy men without orthopedic or neurological abnormalities participated in this study. Muscle activity was measured during horizontal isometric abduction and adduction of the shoulder joint in the sitting position. Measurements were conducted in three positions horizontal adduction at 0°, 45° and 90°, and external loads were set at 3, 5 and 10% of each subject's body weight. External load was added to the direction of horizontal abduction on horizontal adduction task and the direction of horizontal adduction on horizontal abduction task. Surface electromyography was used to collect raw data during the task. Based on scapular movements during shoulder motion, the measured muscles were classified as agonist muscles of the glenohumeral joint, and agonist and antagonist muscles of the scapulohumeral joint.

Results: The same patterns of muscles activities were identified during horizontal abduction and adduction in all positions. Electromyographic activities of agonist muscles of both the glenohumeral and scapulothoracic joints became higher with greater load; however, activities of antagonist muscles of the scapulohumeral joint did not show statistical significance.

Conclusion: Most scapular muscles engage during isometric contraction, and the high activating muscles were changed by the direction of shoulder movement. We have to evaluate the scapular muscle activities individually in consideration of this finding.

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