The effects of an education and exercise-based injury prevention programme on knowledge, eccentric shoulder strength, shoulder range of motion, and thoracic range of motion among competitive youth volleyball athletes: a randomized controlled trial

A 12-week randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of an education and exercise-based programme among competitive youth volleyball athletes. Forty-five participants were randomized into intervention (<i>n</i> = 23) and control groups (<i>n</i> = 22). The intervention group attended the "Education program for youth athletes" in Week 1 and the "Exercise program" over 12 weeks. The education programme improved participants' knowledge scores concerning overuse injuries and the growth and maturation process during adolescence from baseline to Week 12 (<i>p</i> = .001). The exercise programme improved shoulder internal rotation range of motion after 12 weeks (<i>p</i> < .001). No significant improvements were observed for eccentric shoulder external rotation strength and thoracic rotation range of motion following the exercise programme in the intervention group. The education and exercise-based programme improved knowledge regarding overuse injuries and the adolescence growth process and shoulder internal rotation range of motion among youth volleyball athletes.