PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Leonard Achenbach AU - Gunnar Huppertz AU - Florian Zeman AU - Johannes Weber AU - Patrick Luig AU - Maximilian Rudert AU - Werner Krutsch TI - Multicomponent stretching and rubber band strengthening exercises do not reduce overuse shoulder injuries: a cluster randomised controlled trial with 579 handball athletes AID - 10.1136/bmjsem-2021-001270 DP - 2022 Mar 01 TA - BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine PG - e001270 VI - 8 IP - 1 4099 - http://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/8/1/e001270.short 4100 - http://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/8/1/e001270.full SO - BMJ OPEN SP EX MED2022 Mar 01; 8 AB - Objectives Handball is associated with a high risk of overuse shoulder injury. This study investigated if an injury prevention programme effectively reduces overuse injury to the throwing shoulder of handball athletes.Methods 61 men’s and women’s handball teams (u-19 and senior athletes) were cluster-randomised into an intervention and a control group in the 2019–2020 season. Players of the intervention group regularly carried out an injury prevention programme. Both groups documented overuse shoulder injuries via an online questionnaire every second week. The primary endpoint was the prevalence of overuse injury to the throwing shoulder. Secondary endpoints were the influence of compliance on the primary endpoint and intensity of overuse shoulder symptoms measured by a shortened, handball-specific Western Ontario Shoulder Index (WOSI).Results 31 teams (295 players) in the intervention group and 30 teams (284 players) in the control group were included for analyses. The overall questionnaire response rate was 61%. The average prevalence of overuse shoulder injury did not significantly differ between the intervention group (n=109, 38.4% (95% CI 32.9% to 44.2%)) and the control group (n=106, 35.9% (95% CI 30.7% to 41.6%), p=0.542). Compliance with the intervention programme did not significantly affect overuse shoulder injury (p=0.893). Using generalised estimating equations for WOSI, the estimated mean for the intervention group was 44.6 points (95% CI 42.0 to 47.1) and 47.6 points for the control group (95% CI 44.9 to 50.3, p=0.111).Conclusions A multicomponent exercise programme using rubber bands and stretching did not significantly reduce the prevalence or symptoms of overuse throwing shoulder injury in handball athletes of both sexes. Randomised controlled study; level of evidence I.Trial registration number ISRCTN99023492.Data are available on reasonable request.