The Effect of Rehabilitation Training on Rotator Cuff Injury of Table Tennis Players

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of structured rehabilitation training in the treatment of rotator cuff injuries among elite table tennis players. Methods: A total of 37 professional table tennis players with clinically diagnosed rotator cuff injuries were enrolled between May 2019 and January 2020. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 19) receiving conventional therapy (e.g., pulsed magnetic therapy, short-wave therapy) or an observation group (n = 18) receiving conventional therapy combined with a four-stage rehabilitation training protocol. Primary outcomes included pain scores, shoulder function scores, active flexion range, flexion strength, and subjective satisfaction, assessed at 2, 8, and 16 weeks post-intervention. Results: At 2 weeks, no significant differences were observed between groups (p > 0.05). By 8 and 16 weeks, the observation group demonstrated superior improvement in all metrics compared to the control group (p > 0.05). For example, pain scores in the observation group increased from 6.13 ± 2.93 to 9.98 ± 1.74, indicating significant pain reduction, while shoulder function scores improved from 6.08 ± 2.65 to 9.56 ± 1.38. Conclusions: Rehabilitation training significantly enhances functional recovery and pain relief in table tennis players with rotator cuff injuries, supporting its integration into standard treatment protocols.