Health Articles

Do these exercises as soon as your healthcare provider says you can.

• Isometric shoulder external rotation: Standing in a doorway with your elbow bent 90° and the back of your wrist pressing against the door frame, try to press your hand outward into the door frame. Hold for 5 seconds. Do 3 sets of 10.
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• Isometric shoulder internal rotation: Standing in a doorway with your elbow bent 90° and the front of your wrist pressing against the door frame, try to press your palm into the door frame. Hold for 5 seconds. Do 3 sets of 10.
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• Isometric shoulder adduction: With a pillow between your chest and your arms, squeeze the pillow with your arms and hold 5 seconds. Do 3 sets of 10.
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• Isometric shoulder flexion: Stand facing a wall with your elbow bent at a right angle and held close to your ody. Press your fist forward against the wall, hold this for 5 seconds, then rest. Do 3 sets of 10.
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• Isometric shoulder extension: Standing facing away from the wall with your elbow touching the wall, press the back of your elbow into the wall and hold for 5 seconds. Rest. Do 3 sets of 10.
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• Isometric shoulder abduction: Standing with one side towards the wall and your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle, press the side of your arm into the wall as if attempting to lift it. Hold for 5 seconds. Rest. Do 3 sets of 10.
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• 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 this 10 times.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• Active elbow flexion and extension: Gently bring your palm up toward your shoulder and bend your elbow as far as you can. Then straighten your elbow as far as you can 10 times. Do 3 sets of 10.

As these exercises become easier, add a weight to your hand to give you some resistance.

• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• Latissimus dorsi strengthening: Sit on a firm chair. Place your hands on the seat on either side of you. Lift your buttocks off the chair. Hold this position for 5 seconds and then relax. Repeat 10 times. Do 3 sets of 10.
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• Scaption: Stand with your arms at your sides and with your elbows straight. Slowly raise your arms to eye level. As you raise your arms, they should be spread apart so that they are only slightly in front of your body (at about a 30 degree angle to the front of your body). Point your thumbs toward the ceiling. Hold for 2 seconds and lower your arms slowly. Do 3 sets of 10. Hold a soup can or light weight when doing the exercise and increase the weight as the exercise gets easier.
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• Push-up with a plus: Begin on the floor on your hands and knees. Keep your arms a shoulder width apart and lift your feet off the floor. Arch your back as high as possible and round your shoulders (this is the "plus" part or the exercise). Bend your elbows and lower your body to the floor. Return to the starting position and arch your back again. Do 3 sets of 10.

Written by Tammy White, MS, PT, and Phyllis Clapis, PT, DHSc, OCS, for RelayHealth. 
Published by RelayHealth.