Time: 17–18 October 2026
Place: South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk), Kotka campus, Salakuljettajantie 4, 48100 Kotka
Number of student places: 24
Target group: The course is aimed at physicians, physiotherapists, naprapaths and other therapists seeking to deepen their expertise in diagnosis, treatment, and performance development for overhead athletes.
Language of instruction: English
Enrollment by: 4 October 2026
Fee: EUR 318,73 (+ VAT 25,5 %), total EUR 400
Billing: Soon after the enrolment period has ended you will be sent an invoice by email. The invoice will be sent as an email attachment (pdf). Please note that the invoice may end up in spam. If you have chosen a company billing, the invoice will be sent as either an online or a paper invoice. The company billing is available only for Finnish organizations/companies. The fees are subject to distrainable.
Cancellation policy: Enrollment can be cancelled free of charge no later than 30 days before the start of the course. For cancellations made after this time, we will charge the full participation fee. Cancellations should be sent to taydennyskoulutus@xamk.fi.
The lecturer for this course :
Martin Asker is an Associate Professor in Medical Science and Director of the Handball Research Group at Sophiahemmet University. With more than twenty years of experience, he has worked as a sports medicine therapist and licensed naprapathy for numerous elite sports clubs, athletes and national teams in various sports, with a focus on sporting shoulders.
He earned his PhD in Medicine from Karolinska Institutet in 2019, where he specialized in shoulder injury prevention. His research focuses on injury prevention, prognosis, rehabilitation and performance in sport, with expertise in overhead athletes.
Dr. Asker has authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific articles and book chapters in the fields of handball medicine and science, with a special focus on overhead athletes. For more than a decade, he has taught the internationally recognized and “Overhead Athlete’s Shoulder” course and has delivered lectures and educational programs in more than 20 countries worldwide.
The Overhead Athlete’s Shoulder – Course Aim and Objectives
This highly practical and clinically oriented course is designed to provide participants with in-depth knowledge of injury mechanisms, diagnostics, prevention, and rehabilitation of shoulder injuries in overhead athletes—from youth to elite senior level. The course addresses both the injured and the uninjured athlete, with the dual goal of enhancing performance and implementing effective injury-prevention strategies.
A central focus is placed on shoulder biomechanics and the importance of the kinetic chain in both performance and injury risk. Participants gain an evidence-based understanding of the relationship between biomechanics, workload, and shoulder injuries, along with practical tools and hands-on methods to apply this knowledge directly in clinical and sport-specific settings.
The course combines evidence-based theory and hands-on sessions. Participants practice assessment techniques, objective testing, exercise progressions, and return-to-sport planning in a structured and clinically applicable format.
Whether you work daily with overhead athletes or encounter them more occasionally in your practice, this course will significantly enhance your clinical reasoning, practical skills, and confidence in managing shoulder problems in overhead sports.
Schedule:
Saturday, 17 October
08:30 – 09:00: Registration
09:00 – 10:30: Biomechanics and injury mechanisms in overhead athletes
10:30 – 10:50: Coffee break
10:50 – 11:30: Strategies for preventing shoulder injuries – when, what, and how?
11:30 – 12:00: Objective shoulder measurements (Theory)
12:00 – 13:00: Lunch
13:00 – 14:30: Objective shoulder/scapular assessment and screening – the kinetic chain (Practical)
14:30 – 14:50: Coffee break
14:50 – 16:00: Shoulder injuries in overhead athletes (Theory)
16:00 – 16:30: Day 1 summary
Sunday, 18 October
09:00 – 09:30: Brief review of Day 1 (Theory)
09:30 – 11:00: Clinical examination and diagnostics of shoulder injuries (Practical) (including coffee break)
11:00 – 12:00: Rehabilitation and treatment strategies for shoulder injuries (Theory)
12:00 – 13:00: Lunch
13:00 – 14:00: Rehabilitation and return to sport after shoulder injuries (Practical) –Part 1 (including coffee break)
14:00 – 15:40: Rehabilitation and return to sport after shoulder injuries (Practical) – Part 2
15:40 – 16:00: Course summary
Contact Information
Naprapath Petteri Koski email petteri.koski@xamk.fi
Additional information about enrolment
Xamk Pulse Open University of Applied Sciences, email taydennyskoulutus@xamk.fi.
We will inform you about the implementation of the course by email. If you do not receive the message, please also check your spam!
We reserve the right to make any changes.
South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences is audited by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC).