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.

© 2009 RelayHealth and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.