Archers with shoulder pain have the same abduction strength as those without
1 study · 58 archers measured
The summary today
Only one study has compared strength, and it finds no difference. Among 58 Korean competitive archers, the 40 with shoulder pain and the 18 without have practically the same abduction strength in the drawing arm, measured with a myometer: 14.56 ± 5.21 against 14.20 ± 6.50 (p = 0.606), if anything slightly higher in those with pain. Pain does show up in the function scales: 82.97 against 99.71 on the ASES score (p < 0.001) and 83.81 against 85.25 on the Constant-Murley score (p = 0.048), where even the pain-free archers stay well short of the maximum. The status stops at reported because the comparison is cross-sectional, in a regional journal, and strength is measured in a single movement: the authors themselves write that the other muscles used in shooting should be measured too.
Also phrased as: "painful shoulder and strength"; "shoulder strength test in archers"; "shoulder weakness in archery"; "shoulder pain and abduction"
In practice
To find out whether a painful shoulder has a problem, the arm is pushed outwards against resistance: if it holds, the shoulder is judged to be fine.
Evidence
-
2021
For Archers Published later
58 Korean competitive archers, 40 with shoulder pain and 18 without, drawing-arm abduction strength measured with a myometer: 14.56 ± 5.21 with pain against 14.20 ± 6.50 without (medians 13.70 and 12.10; p = 0.606). Regional journal; the authors list measuring a single movement as a limitation.
Shoulder Pain Caused by Injuries in Korean Elite Archers · Young-Sook Kim, Doo-Sup Kim, Ji-Su Shin, Sung-Hwa Kim, Bum-Seok Lee, Ji-Su Park, Won-Gil Cho
-
2021
Context Archers Published later
The same sample, the function scales: ASES 82.97 ± 13.62 with pain against 99.71 ± 0.65 without (p < 0.001); Constant-Murley 83.81 ± 7.91 against 85.25 ± 6.78 (p = 0.048). Without pain the first scale is close to the maximum and the second is not, and on the second the gap between the groups is a point and a half, only just significant.
Shoulder Pain Caused by Injuries in Korean Elite Archers · Young-Sook Kim, Doo-Sup Kim, Ji-Su Shin, Sung-Hwa Kim, Bum-Seok Lee, Ji-Su Park, Won-Gil Cho
Status history
- 2021 Reported The first and only comparison comes from 58 Korean competitive archers: the 40 with shoulder pain have worse function on the clinical scales, 82.97 against 99.71 on one and 83.81 against 85.25 on the other, but abduction strength in the drawing arm is practically identical, 14.56 against 14.20. Even the pain-free archers fall short of the maximum on one of the two scales. A cross-sectional comparison, one sample, strength measured in a single movement: reported.
Related
Related articles
Research lines
Cite
Campagna, M. (2026). Archers with shoulder pain have the same abduction strength as those without (Version 1). In Evidence Registry. Retrieved 16 October 2026, from https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/health/shoulder-pain-and-abduction-strength
@misc{campagna2026_dolorespallaforza,
author = {Campagna, Matteo},
title = {Archers with shoulder pain have the same abduction strength as those without},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Evidence Registry, matteocampagna.com},
url = {https://matteocampagna.com/en/registry/health/shoulder-pain-and-abduction-strength},
note = {Version 1; accessed 2026-10-16}
}
Follow this claim
RSS is an address you paste into a feed reader: each time this claim changes status, adds a year to its history or is revised, a new item appears there.
Registry updates by email
At most one email a month, sent only when something has changed: claims that change status, new claims, Lab predictions registered or resolved, new studies and new books.
Sign-ups are handled by Systeme.io, the service that runs the newsletter. Every email has a link to unsubscribe with one click.
Other claims in this domain
- ReportedA carotenoid and omega-3 supplement improves the archer's sleep1 study · 29 archers measuredStatus since 2026
- ReportedA day of competition does not lower an archer's salivary IgA2 studies · 48 archers measuredStatus since 2021
- ReportedA few nutrition education sessions change how an archer eats and raise blood glucose in competition1 study · 8 archers measuredStatus since 2021
- ReportedA few weeks of breathing exercises improve young archers' respiratory function1 study · 36 archers measuredStatus since 2025
- ReportedA few weeks of shooting alone improve shoulder mobility1 study · 24 archers measuredStatus since 2026