Hands-On-Care, specializing in shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand therapy.
Shoulder Exercises
Shoulder
This is a guideline. Please discuss with your therapist before starting these exercises.
This is a general guideline that will assist you in getting your shoulder back to normal
In addition to Taping the shoulder for rotator cuff tendonitis, your therapist should instruct you in ROM exercises followed with strengthening. Avoid active overhead activities until all symptoms have diminished. Watch your posture, keep shoulder blades back and down to keep the gleno humeral joint in the right alignment.
You may / may not need to start with Heat before exercises.
But as a general guideline, if there is joint stiffness i.e. passive ROM is limited then heat helps relax and loosen muscles and joints and eases in performing the exercises. However, if you have swelling and pain in ROM due to swelling then you may want to avoid heat. Most exercises are to be performed 2x day
In either case, end with ice after exercises.
Shoulder ROM
Shoulder Strengthening (general)
Upper Trap Strain
Shoulder Dislocation
Radical Mastectomy
Also check out our guide to smarter workout Avoid moobs but not hurt the shoulder
If pain occurs with this stretch lower the arm and then stretch across the chest
This exercise is performed by dangling the arm and moving the body. The movement of the body causes the arm to move, helping with ROM. Do not actively move the arm as it may be contraindicated in certain surgeries.
elbow by side 0 deg
Shoulder at 90 deg elbow 90 deg.
You can perform this exercise with the use of pulley, towel or cane but pulling the affected arm with the help of the unaffected arm behind the back
External rotation done with a cane at first with the elbow by your side and then slowly progressed to shoulder at 90 deg. The affected arm stays relaxed all the time.
Shoulder flexion done with a cane: use the good arm to push the affected arm up above the shoulder
Horizontal abduction: use the good arm to push the affected arm to the side. The affected arm stays relaxed all the time.
use the good arm to push the affected arm out the the side with the help of the cane. The affected arm stays relaxed all the time.
IR Sidelying. Lay on the affected side, bring the shoulder to 90 deg, elbow to 90 then bend the elbow towards the stomach
Lie on your stomach with the affected arm off the mat, bring the arm up with the elbow bent to 90 deg
Lie on your stomach with the affected arm off the mat, bring the arm up with the elbow straigth
Lie on the unaffected side with the affected arm by your side, bring the forearm up with the elbow bent to 90 deg keeping it by your side
Raise your arm up with elbow straight and thumb down at an angle of 45 degrees
raise both your arms up with elbow straight with thumb up/ palm down in a T position
Bring your arm up with elbow straight thumb up at a 45 deg angle,
Raise our arm up with elbow straight in front of the body
Put one end of the band at the feet and other end in your hand, lock the elbow at the waist and bring the forearm up
Keep a towel by your side, pull the band in to your stomach with the elbow bend to 90 deg
Start with elbows straight and end with squeezing the shoulder blades and bending your elbow to 90 deg
Loop the T-Band at your wrist level, keeping the elbow straight pull the arms straight back
Keeping the elbow by your side (put a piece of paper at your side, if the paper drops you are doing the exercise incorrectly) elbow bent to 90 deg, move the forearm out to 45 deg. Keep your wrist straight.
Laying on the ball, bring arms out with palm down, bring arms up to shoulder level while squeezing the shoulders back and down.
Laying on the ball bring your arms up by your side while squeezing the shoulder blades back and down
Laying on the ball bring your elbows up while squeezing the shoulder blades back and down
Push the arm up in the air and then slowly depress it.
Using a band pull it straight out at a 45 deg angle.
Put one end of the band on the same foot, holding the other end on the arm take the arm to the opposite shoulder.
and then later perform it taking to the same side
Balancing and moving body weight side to side first on a disc, then ball with both hands then one handed
Closed chain activities
Pulling self up, pushups on the floor with feet on the stool, on all fours, and on a stepper
Chin Tucks
Aligns the neck to the shoulder to the hips
Chair Stretch
Hold on to the chair and lean away tilting the neck to the opposite side stretches upper trap
Shoulder Rolls
Backwards to counteract the tendency to perform activities in front
Roll on the foam roll by lifting your bottom up and supporting your head with your arms
Giving yourself a massage
Shoulder Squeeze
Squeeze it back and down to keep the shoulder blades attached to the rib cage and shoulder in alignment
Neck ROM
All 6 ranges front back, side to side, rotate left and right
If pain occurs with this stretch lower the arm and then stretch across the chest
Bring your arm up with elbow straight thumb up at a 45 deg angle,
Raise our arm up with elbow straight in front of the body
Push the arm up in the air and then slowly depress it.
Raise both your arms up with elbow straight with thumb up/ palm down in a T position
IR: Keeping elbow by your side, elbow at 90 deg, bring forearm in
Start with elbows straight and end with squeezing the shoulder blades and bending your elbow to 90 deg
Loop the T-Band at your wrist level, keeping the elbow straight pull the arms straight back
Keeping the elbow by your side (put a piece of paper at your side, if the paper drops you are doing the exercise incorrectly) elbow bent to 90 deg, move the forearm out to 45 deg. Keep your wrist straight.
Ball exercises Ball T
Squeeze shoulder blades back and down and then bring arms up into a T. Do not go beyond shoulder level
Rows
Squeeze shoulder blades back and down and then bring arms up performing a rowing motion
Extension
Squeeze shoulder blades back and down and then bring arms straight up.
SHOULDER DISLOCATION
In addition to modalities to reduce pain, you have to strengthen the shoulder to prevent re-dislocation.
The shoulder ligaments are Lax and thus the dynamic structures (Muscle) needs to be strengthened to that it prevents the shoulder from re-dislocation.
Immediately after injury avoid movements like reaching behind the head as this is most unstable position and may cause re-dislocation
RADICAL MASTECTOMY
elbow by side 0 deg
Shoulder at 90 deg elbow 90 deg.
Pulley helps in gaining the range in the initial stages
Laying on 3″ then progressing to a 6″ foam roll to perform very slow snow angel stretches to let the scar stretch out while slowly gaining ROM
Start with ER by side then progress to 90 deg at shoulder
Pts develop limitation in IR if not stretched in the early stages
Progression of Flexion and abduction
Abduction progression in standing
Strengthening is crucial to maintain the scapula against the rib cage, if weakened, the scar will cause protraction of shoulder and rounded shoulder creating shoulder problems in the future
Shoulder extension
External rotation
Cuff Strengthening
T
V, U
Progressing to bands
Ball exercise
High level patients
or wall pushing for Serratus strengthening
