Shoulder injuries take time to heal. If you're trying to heal your shoulder, you should be prepared for a long wait: most injuries take six months to a year to heal. While there's no magic bullet for healing your shoulder, you can influence how long your recovery takes.
The right physiotherapy exercises for the shoulder accelerate recovery and can help maintain your strength and range of motion. Learn how to assess your training level during recovery and discover the 10 best physiotherapy exercises for the shoulder to speed up your recovery.
How to tell if you have the right training level for shoulder rehabilitation
When it comes to joint injuries, the saying "what you don't use, you lose" applies. The same principle is true for shoulder rehabilitation. Gentle, regular movement maintains your range of motion and prevents stiffness and future injuries.
The shoulder is an extremely mobile ball-and-socket joint, but this mobility comes at a price. Your shoulder requires a lot of support from your muscles, including your deltoids, trapezius, biceps, triceps, and others. All your muscles need to work together to stabilize the joint. During rehabilitation, this means you need to strengthen several muscles and keep them flexible enough to support the movement.
The advantage is that you only need 15 minutes of movement two to three times a day to make a significant difference in your recovery process. However, shoulder rehab is tricky. Pain is common during the first two weeks of rehab, so you need to quickly learn how to distinguish between "good" and "bad" pain.
Get the most out of your shoulder physiotherapy exercises with a simple rating system:
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Use a pain scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain) to record your baseline pain level before training. You can use your smartphone or a notebook to keep track.
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Make sure that the pain during training doesn't exceed 5 out of 10. If it does, slow down your movements, reduce the number of repetitions, or take longer breaks.
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Then note down your pain level.
Initially, you will likely experience pain and discomfort, which is perfectly normal. Ultimately, however, you want your pain to subside over time. Therefore, we recommend that you keep a pain log. When you are in pain, it should not last longer than a few hours. If your pain worsens, consult your doctor.
Remember that you only need to do two or three repetitions per exercise to start. We recommend spreading the exercises throughout the day to keep your joints flexible.
When you feel ready, you can add more repetitions each week. Avoid large jumps in the number of repetitions. Add only one or two per week to prevent reinjury. You can expect to do these exercises for four to six weeks unless your doctor advises otherwise.
10 shoulder rehab exercises you should try
Shoulder rehabilitation can be challenging, as you need to keep the joint moving without overstressing it. Try these 10 exercises to aid recovery without re-injuring your shoulder.
1. Bent-over rowing
Bent-over rows focus on the mid-back and lower deltoid muscles that support the shoulder blade. This additional support at the back of the joint reduces stress on the front of your shoulder. While dumbbells will suffice in a pinch, a smart cable machine like the [example of a cable machine] makes the exercise easier. Speediance Gym Monster 2 the setup and weight gain during your recovery.
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Start with the lowest cable weight.
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Hold the cables with your palms facing each other. Bend at the hips so that you form a 45-degree angle, keeping your back straight.
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Pull the cables towards you using your shoulder blades. Your elbows should form a 90-degree angle and be pulled towards your body.
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Extend your arms back to the starting position.
2. Push-ups against the wall
Push-ups are ideal for building strength, but due to a shoulder injury, traditional push-ups aren't possible right now. Instead, do wall push-ups to build strength. Once you're comfortable with wall push-ups, you can progress to push-ups on your knees and then to traditional push-ups.
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Stand about an arm's length away from the wall.
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Position your arms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart against the wall. Your body should be straight from your toes to your head.
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Bend your elbows to bring your chest towards the wall. You should feel your shoulder blades come together.
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Slowly push yourself away from the wall and stretch your arms.
3. Superman
The Superman is a bodyweight shoulder exercise that strengthens the back. This exercise not only supports the shoulders but can also counteract rounded shoulders or poor posture.
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Lie face down on the floor. Extend your legs behind you and your arms in front of you in a Y-shape. If your shoulders feel stiff, try bending your elbows at a 90-degree angle instead.
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Tighten your core muscles and lift your arms and chest a few centimeters off the ground. Feel your shoulder blades contract.
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Hold this position for three seconds and then release.
4. Shoulder rotations
Many small stabilizing muscles surround the shoulder joint. Shoulder rotations help reduce the feeling of impingement and give you more control. You can perform these exercises without weights, with a light dumbbell, or with a light resistance band.
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Roll up a towel and place it between your elbows and your ribcage.
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For external rotation, place your forearm at a 90-degree angle across your stomach. Rotate your arm outwards while gently pressing your elbow against the towel.
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For internal rotation, start with your forearm extended to the side. Rotate your arm so that it rests above your abdomen.
5. Commuting
Pendulum swings are an early rehabilitation exercise for the shoulder that reduces stiffness. Since gravity does all the work, it can restore blood flow to the shoulder without putting any strain on it.
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Support yourself with one hand on a chair.
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Let your other arm hang relaxed. Swing your body in small circles with a hip movement, letting your arm swing passively like a pendulum.
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Perform this movement for 30 seconds. Take a break and then repeat the movement in the other direction.
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Repeat this on the other side.
6. Shoulder shrugs
For physical therapy exercises for the shoulder, start with shoulder shrugs without weights. Try cable shoulder exercises to increase the intensity as you build strength and mobility.
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Stand comfortably and raise both arms in front of you to shoulder height. Make sure your shoulders are not touching your ears.
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Hold the position for 10 seconds and then slowly lower your arms again.
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Repeat the whole process.
7. Walk-Ups
Walk-ups can help you regain your range of motion and mobility after an injury. If you have trouble getting things down from a high shelf, this is the right physical therapy exercise for your shoulder.
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Stand with your arm outstretched in front of a wall.
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Place your fingertips on the wall with one hand just below chest height.
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Move your fingers a few centimeters upwards along the wall. Stop when you feel a pull (the pain should be no more than a 5). Hold the position for 10 seconds.
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Slowly move your fingers back to their starting position.
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Repeat the process on the other side.
8. Crossover Arm Stretch
This stretching exercise is a standard part of almost every training class. Like walk-ups, it targets the rear shoulder area and helps you restore your range of motion.
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Sit or stand and raise your arm to shoulder height across your chest.
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Apply pressure to your elbow with your other arm.Keep your upper body still so the stretch comes from your arm and not your torso. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
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Slowly release and repeat the exercise on the other side.
9. Standing Rowing
Do you want to lift weights pain-free again? Standing rows strengthen the muscles around your shoulder blades. Use the intelligent cable system. Speediance Gym Monster 2, to increase the weight as your muscles get stronger.
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Stand facing the machine with a handle in each hand or a barbell. Your palms should be facing each other. Bend your knees slightly for stability.
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Focus on your upper back muscles and pull your shoulder blades together to draw the weight towards you. Make sure your elbows stay close to your body.
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Slowly walk forward again.
10. Flexion and extension of the elbow
It might sound strange to train your elbows when you have a shoulder injury, but you can easily irritate your shoulder if you overuse your elbows. Strong elbows support healthy shoulders, especially during everyday tasks like lifting or pushing.
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To bend your elbow, stand with your arms at your sides and your palms facing forward.
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Raise your forearms and move your hands towards your upper arms.
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To straighten your arms, lower them from the bent position back to the starting position. Make sure your shoulders don't roll forward as you lower them.
The benefits of strengthening exercises for the shoulders
Weak shoulder muscles or injuries not only make training impossible, but also limit everything you can do at home, from unloading the dishwasher to changing a lightbulb. Physical therapy exercises for the shoulder have many benefits, from protecting your range of motion to relieving pain.
Expands your range of movement
Physical therapy exercises for the shoulder can help you restore your mobility and range of motion. You might not get back to 100% fitness, but Studies showProper rehabilitation can improve your range of motion. If you want to be able to lift, extend, and move your arm without limitations again, you should take rehabilitation seriously.
Prevents further shoulder injuries
A single shoulder injury can open the door to future injuries. In fact, surgery for a rotator cuff tear carries a risk of... average risk of 22.8% for a re-crackTargeted exercises to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder reduce the risk of future damage and injuries.
Reduces pain
There's no getting around it: Acute shoulder injuries and rehabilitation can be painful. Even after recovery, pain can still occur. Fortunately, it has been proven that shoulder rehabilitation exercises can help alleviate this pain. Relieve pain after rehabilitation for at least 52 weeks.
Improves posture
A hunched posture isn't just an aesthetic problem; it can also lead to back and shoulder pain. Exercises for rounded shoulders will make you look more elegant, improve your posture, and ensure proper spinal alignment. Over time, this will reduce stress on your joints, allowing you to move more freely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I rehabilitate my shoulders?
Shoulder rehabilitation requires strengthening the muscles in your upper back and improving your range of motion. Gentle movements like pendulum exercises and walk-ups help you restore mobility in the early stages of recovery, while standing rows, shoulder shrugs, and Supermans help you steadily build muscle to support your joints.
Should I train my rotator cuff if it hurts?
It depends. Especially during the first two weeks of rehabilitation, you can expect mild discomfort. However, you should stop if the pain is severe or worsening. As a general rule, you should never train beyond a pain level of 5 on a scale of 1 to 10.
How often per week should I do physiotherapy for my shoulder?
Short, frequent training sessions are the right approach. At the beginning of your recovery, plan for 15-minute sessions two to three times a day. Once you've built up flexibility and strength, you can schedule more structured training sessions three times a week. Make sure you allow yourself rest days between training sessions to avoid re-injury.
Shoulder rehabilitation requires consistent rehabilitation for recovery.
Shoulder rehabilitation is a long road, but proper recovery can shorten the time you need to rest. Pay attention to your pain, start small, and gradually increase the intensity to build a more resilient shoulder joint.
These exercises will help you recover faster, but only if you perform them consistently. Consistency allows your shoulder to heal more effectively and you'll make faster progress without overloading your joint. Track your progress and easily adjust the resistance with a smart, compact home fitness device. Get the right tool for long-term progress: Check out the Speediance Gym Monster 2 to.
