Investigating the Effect of Sports Massage on the Proprioception of the Shoulder Joint of Disabled Female Basketball Players

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sports massage on the proprioception of the shoulder joint of disabled female basketball players. In this quasi-experiment research, 30 disabled female basketball players who were playing in wheelchair basketball teams of Tehran were selected using convenient and volunteering method based on demographic information then assigned randomly into two test and control groups. The shoulder joint of dominant hand of members in test group had massage for 8 days (one 10-minute massage each day). Joint position sense of respondents measured and compared at first and end of study with angles 0, 45 and 90 degree using Biodex System 3 Model of Isokinetic Device. Findings showed a significant change in position sense of test group members after having massage (P<0.05). Results indicated that 8 sessions of exercise massage had positive effect on shoulder joint position sense of female disabled basketball players.