The Athletic Shoulder ASH test for rugby

The Athletic Shoulder (ASH) Test (Ashworth, Hogben, Singh, Tulloch, Cohen, 2018) is a novel test used to monitor upper body performance, neuromuscular fatigue and readiness, and more specifically an athlete’s ability to transfer force across the shoulder girdle. 

The Test was developed by Ben Ashworth, a Chartered Physiotherapist with a specialist interest in shoulder injuries and rehabilitation, specifically to replicate long-lever stress and the ability to transfer force across the shoulder girdle during the arm tackle in rugby.

The test is used to assess and monitor the shoulder isometric strength of athletes during recovery or mid/end stage rehabilitation to guide readiness to return to competition or contact sport such as rugby. 

VALD FORCE DECKS AT PRO SPORTS MEDICINE

At Pro Sports Medicine we use the VALD Force Decks system to perform The ASH Test, evaluating shoulder strength in three different positions (“I”, “Y” and “T”), each from the prone lying position: The subject will push down from the shoulder in three consecutive test positions maximally for 3 seconds:

1. I-test: Shoulder positioned in full abduction (180°), forearm in pronation and elbow in full extension. Contralateral arm at the side.
   
   
2. Y-test: Shoulder positioned at 135°, forearm in pronation and elbow in full extension. The contralateral arm placed behind the back
   
   
3. T-test: Shoulder positioned at 90°, forearm in pronation and elbow in full extension. The contralateral arm is placed behind the back.

What does the ASH Test tell us??

The ASH test shows us many different metrics, but we focus primarily on rate of force development and peak force scores. It is important to consider both metrics as athletes who post good peak force scores, but fail to produce high enough rates of force development may experience pain or instability when they return to higher intensity, more explosive actions like a rugby tackle or actions such as a tennis serve.

These metrics help us determine your readiness to return to competition or contact sport, whilst informing our rehab processes.

If you are interested in VALD Testing services? Get in touch today and a member of the team would be delighted to help 

info@prosportsmedicine.co.uk / 02920 762000