Shoulder Separation Rehabilitation Exercises
- Wand exercise: Flexion: Stand upright and hold a stick
in both hands, palms down. Stretch your arms by lifting
them over your head, keeping your elbows straight. Hold
for 5 seconds and return to the starting position.
Repeat 10 times.
- Wand exercise: Extension: Stand upright and hold a
stick in both hands behind your back. Move the stick
away from your back. Hold the end position for 5
seconds. Relax and return to the starting position.
Repeat 10 times.
- Wand exercise: External rotation: Lie on your back and
hold a stick in both hands, palms up. Your upper arms
should be resting on the floor, your elbows at your sides
and bent 90°. Using one arm, push your other arm out
away from your body while keeping the elbow of the arm
being pushed at your side. Hold the stretch for 5
seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Wand exercise: Internal rotation: Stand with one arm
behind your head holding the end of a stick. Put your
other arm behind your back at waist level and grab the
stick. Move the stick up and down your back by bending
your elbows. Hold the bent position for 5 seconds and
then return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.
- Wand exercise: Shoulder abduction and adduction: Stand
upright and hold a stick with both hands, palms facing
away from your body. Rest the stick against the front of
your thighs. While keeping your elbows straight, use one
arm to push your other arm out to the side and up as high
as possible. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Wand exercise: Horizontal abduction and adduction: Stand
upright and hold a stick in both hands. Place your arms
straight out in front of you at shoulder level. Keep
your arms straight and swing the stick to one side, feel
the stretch, and hold for 5 seconds. Then swing the
stick to the other side, feel the stretch, and hold for 5
seconds. Repeat 10 times.
- Shoulder flexion: Stand with your arms hanging down at
your side. Keep your elbow straight and lift your arms up
over your head as far as you can reach. Hold the end position
for 5 seconds. Do 3 sets of 10.
- Shoulder abduction: Stand with your arms at your sides.
Bring your arms up, out to the side, and toward the
ceiling. Hold for 5 seconds. Return to the starting
position. Repeat 10 times.
- Horizontal shoulder abduction: Stand with your arms held
straight out in front of you at shoulder level. Pull
your arms apart and out to the sides as far as possible.
Hold them back for 5 seconds, then bring them back
together in front of you. Repeat 10 times. Remember to
keep your arms at shoulder level throughout this
exercise.
- Shoulder extension: Stand with your arms at your sides.
Move the arm on one side back, keeping your elbow
straight. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Return to
the starting position and repeat 10 times.
- Scapular active range of motion: Stand and shrug your
shoulders up and hold for 5 seconds. Then squeeze your
shoulder blades back and together and hold 5 seconds.
Next, pull your shoulder blades downward as if putting
them in your back pocket. Relax. Repeat this sequence
10 times.
- Side-lying horizontal abduction: Lie on your side with
your top arm relaxed across your chest. Slowly bring
your top arm up off the floor, elbow straight, so that
your hand is pointing toward the ceiling. Do 3 sets of
10. Hold a weight in your hand as the exercise becomes
easier.
- Prone shoulder extension: Lie on your stomach on a table
or a bed with one arm hanging down over the edge. With
your elbow straight, slowly lift your arm straight back
and toward the ceiling. Return to the starting position.
Do 3 sets of 10. As this becomes easier, hold a weight
in your hand.
- Single-arm shoulder abduction: Stand with your arms at
your sides with your palms resting against your sides.
With your elbow straight, lift one arm out to the side
and toward the ceiling. Hold the position for 5 seconds.
Repeat 10 times. Add a weight to your hand as this
exercise becomes easier.
- Resisted shoulder internal rotation: Holding tubing
connected to a door knob at waist level, keep your elbow
in at your side and rotate your arm inward across your
body. Make sure you keep your forearm parallel to the
floor. Do 3 sets of 10.
- Resisted shoulder adduction: Stand sideways next to a
door. With the hand closest to the door, hold tubing
connected to a door knob at waist level. Stand away from
the door approximately 8 to 10 inches. Slowly bring your
arm with tubing next to your body. Do 3 sets of 10.
- Resisted shoulder flexion: Holding tubing connected to a
door knob at waist level, face away from the door, keep
your elbow straight and pull your arm forward. Do 3 sets
of 10.
- Resisted shoulder extension: Face a door holding tubing
connected to the door knob at waist level, pull your arm
back. Be sure to keep your elbow straight. Do 3 sets of
10.
- Resisted shoulder external rotation: Stand sideways next
to a door. Rest the hand farthest away from the door
across your stomach. With that hand grasp tubing that is
connected to a doorknob at waist level. Keeping your
elbow in at your side, rotate your arm outward and away
from your waist. Make sure you keep your elbow bent 90
degrees and your forearm parallel to the floor. Repeat
10 times. Build up to 3 sets of 10.
Written by Tammy White, MS, PT, and Phyllis Clapis, PT, DHSc, OCS, for RelayHealth.
Published by
RelayHealth.
Last modified: 2008-01-22
Last reviewed: 2007-07-20
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new health information becomes available. The
information is intended to inform and educate and is not a
replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or
treatment by a healthcare professional.
© 2009 RelayHealth and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
This
information is approved and/or reviewed by U-M Health System providers
but it is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for medical
treatment. You should speak to your physician or make
an appointment to be seen if you have questions or concerns about
this information or your medical condition.