Shoulder exercises
If you have injured your shoulder it is important to get the joint moving as soon as possible to avoid it becoming set or frozen.
This must be done in conjunction with the advice you have received from the hospital or your own doctor.
However, you may have upset your shoulder and you may not have felt it necessary to seek advice.
It is important to carry out regular exercises to regain movement of the shoulder joint and prevent any stiffness developing.
Starting the Exercise
Place one foot in front of the other in a striding position and bend forward slightly. If necessary, stand by a table sideways on, and support yourself on the table with your good arm
Let your injured arm swing like a pendulum.
- forwards and backwards x10
- from side to side across the body x10
- round in a circle: Clockwise x10, anticlockwise x10
Do these movements gently at first then gradually increase the movement.
This next exercise can be done stand or sitting.
Fold arms loosely and lift over the head – use your good arm to help the affected arm x5
As above but use a stick held between outstretched arms x5
Put hands behind head and brace elbows out x5
With a towel held behind your back in both hands, perform a “drying your back” motion x5
As recovery progresses
Lying on your back - lift a 1-2 lb weight from your chest with elbow bent to elbows straight.
Standing – holding arms out straight lift the weight in both hands together upwards.
