Shoulder mobility exercises are very important to help patients regain shoulder mobility and also to avoid stiffness of the joint. When doing these distraction exercises, it is important to be slow and gentle, doing a few seconds at the mobile end of the joint, then slowly releasing and repeating these distraction movements. To avoid pain during stretching, generally speaking pendulum movements, table sliding and supine self-external rotation stretching are generally the least painful and easiest to do.
If after 7-10 days of self-exercise, the activity improves and the pain decreases, then you can slightly increase the angle of the exercise, and then gradually increase the wall climbing, supine forward flexion stretch, hand on the back internal rotation stretch, supine external rotation combined with abduction and horizontal internal rotation stretch after a week, if the situation of the joint continues to improve, then increase the external rotation in the standing position, and then the external rotation stretch and internal rotation stretch in the corner of the wall. If the pain increases, then the angle and intensity of the exercise is not increased.
Of course, these therapeutic movements still need the guidance of professional rehabilitation physicians and physical therapists, and then regularly assess the degree of your recovery, for more serious patients, there are already adhesions and contractures of the joint capsule and muscles, then physical therapists will help you gradually improve these problems, there will be a little soreness and pain in the early stages of treatment, but after treatment will generally immediately feel the joint has been loosened, pain has also improved. Significant and severe pain during treatment is not recommended.
If you need professional help, you can come to the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Ninth People’s Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine for assistance. There are professional physicians and therapists here who can help you improve your shoulder movement and pain, as well as help you learn the self-exercise methods taught here.
Bell Pendulum Exercise
Bend close to 90°, support the edge of the bed or the back of the chair with the hand on the healthy side, rely on the inertia of the body swinging back and forth and left and right, let the shoulders relax and sag naturally to follow the swing, do it for 2-3 minutes each time
Desk arm slide
Sitting at the table, the affected side of the arm relaxed on the desktop, hands and desktop can be padded with some easy to slide cloth, natural bending, hands against the desktop passively slide forward, the end stay 5-10 seconds, and then the arm slowly back with the body
Supine external rotation stretching
Lie on your back with the affected elbow joint flexed 90° against the body, and use a cane or stick to help the affected hand to do external rotation stretching, maintain 5-10 seconds, and slowly relax back
Supine forward flexion and extension
Lie on your back and help the affected hand by interlocking the fingers or gradually increase the angle of lift to the head using crutches and sticks, stay at the end for 5-10 seconds, then slowly relax back
Internal rotation and stretching of the back
Sitting or standing, the wrist of the affected hand is placed against the midline of the buttock or waist, and the opposite hand helps the affected hand to gradually move upward toward the opposite scapula, staying at the end for 5-10 seconds, and then slowly relaxing back.
Sliding Wall Stretch
After improving the sliding stretch on the table, you can stand facing the wall, first put both hands together on the wall, then slide upward, as the angle increases, the body can also gradually approach the wall, stay at the end for 15-20 seconds, then relax and slowly put down
Scapular exercise
Do active shrugging to feel the scapulae sliding upward, then at the same time do the scapulae retracting against each other, do a total of 10 round trips
Supine external rotation and abduction stretching
Lie on your back, put your hands behind your neck, bend your elbows and point to the ceiling, slowly open your elbow joints and put your arms as close to the bed as possible, stay at the end for 5-10 seconds, then slowly retract
Horizontal inward stretching
Lie on your back, hold the elbow joint of the affected side with your good hand, gently stretch, let the affected hand gradually touch your opposite shoulder, after this movement improves, you can change from supine to standing position, stay at the end for 5-10 seconds, then relax and come back slowly
Standing external rotation stretching
Stand by the door or pull the handrail, bend the elbow 90° on the affected side against the body, then rotate the body around the affected shoulder, stay at the end for 5-10 seconds, then relax and come back slowly.
External rotation stretching in the corner
Stand facing the corner, relax your hands on both sides of the wall, and then slowly bring your body closer to the corner, with the feeling of being stretched at the shoulder joint, and hold the end for 15-20 seconds, then relax and come back slowly.
Abduction and external rotation stretching
Lie on the affected side, extend the shoulder side forward and flex the elbow, then the good hand helps to gradually put the affected hand to the bed slowly, the end stay for 10-15 seconds, then relax and come back slowly.