Motor Control Training and Joint Reposition Sense in the Asymptomatic Shoulder: A Critical Narrative Review

Le résumé fourni par la source

The glenohumeral joint depends on afferent proprioceptive feedback, and specifically joint position sense, to compensate for the limited bony constraint that permits its wide range of motion. Motor control and resistance-based training programmes are widely prescribed on the assumption that they enhance shoulder joint reposition sense, yet this assumption has rarely been examined critically in individuals without shoulder pathology. This critical narrative review synthesises the available evidence on the effect of motor control training programmes on joint reposition sense in the asymptomatic shoulder. Literature published between 1994 and May 2026 was identified through PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar, supplemented by backward and forward citation tracking, and appraised for methodological quality, exercise dosage, measurement protocol and population characteristics. The evidence indicates that multi-joint, higher-velocity and functionally loaded interventions, including plyometric drills, closed kinetic chain exercise and structured neuromuscular warm-up programmes, are more consistently associated with a reduction in joint reposition error than brief, low-intensity, single-muscle isolation protocols, which have in some trials produced no measurable change. Findings are, however, inconsistent across studies that differ substantially in training dose, exercise selection, outcome definition and measurement apparatus, and the evidence base remains dominated by small, single-centre trials with heterogeneous samples of young, physically active adults. Baseline joint reposition sense itself varies with age, sex and limb dominance, complicating comparison across trials. Confidence in the superiority of any single training modality is limited, and a specificity-of-training effect, whereby proprioceptive gains are closely tied to the sensorimotor demands of the exercise performed, appears more defensible than a generic trainability hypothesis. Adequately powered, dose-controlled trials with standardised measurement protocols and long-term follow-up are needed before firm clinical recommendations can be made for injury-prevention and performance contexts involving healthy shoulders.

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