Physical Therapy Exercises for Shoulder Pain
Have you been experiencing shoulder pain and are looking for exercises you can do from home to help relieve the pain?
Due to our overwhelming response to our physical therapy series, we once again collaborated with a physical therapist to come up with and produce a therapy video to help stop or prevent shoulder pain.
Remember, as always, you should consult with your physician or other healthcare professional before starting this or any other fitness program to determine if it's right for your needs.
For these particular exercises, you will need two pieces of equipment. Number one, a long resistance band, and number two, a dowel rod, broom, or long stick of some sort.
5 Exercises to Help Reduce or Prevent Shoulder Pain:
Deltoid Stretch
Our first exercise is called a deltoid stretch. It's a static stretch to stretch the deltoid muscles of the shoulder.
For this stretch, you can do it in a standing or sitting position. You're going to have the arms straight, then bring one straight arm across your chest, then use the other arm to hook underneath and pull it in a little bit more.
You want to keep the arm straight, trying to pull it in toward the chest into what we call horizontal abduction. You should be getting a really great stretch in the deltoid shoulder region, as well as the shoulder blade region.
For this static stretch, you want to hold for 30 seconds. Once the 30 seconds are up, relax and shake it out. Make sure you do the other arm as well. The same setup as the previous arm, pull across, keep the shoulder down away from the ear, and hold still there.
This stretch calls for a 30-second hold on each arm.
2. Open Book Stretch
Our second exercise is called an open book and it's a great mobility exercise for the shoulder and upper back.
You're going to lie on your side with your legs bent and stacked and your arms also bent and stacked. Then you're going to open the book as you raise the top arm up toward the ceiling, allowing your gaze to follow that arm and then open up even more trying to bring that arm toward the ground.
If you can't reach the ground, just go as far as you can, and hang out there as gravity gently pushes the arm down even more. Then close the book as you return the arm back to the start position and repeat as you open the book. Allow the arm to gently float down, you're going to feel a stretch through the front of the shoulder and the chest pectoralis muscles, then close the book.
One final thing to note, you want to keep your lower body still. Do not let the hips open or rock back and forth. Keep them still so the lower body isn't moving.
Once you’re done with one side, it is the same exact thing on the other side allowing your gaze to look over that arm, and then close the book.
For this exercise, aim to do 15 repetitions on both sides.
3. Shoulder Flection
The third exercise is called shoulder flection. For this exercise, you will need to grab the dowel rod, yardstick, broomstick, or whatever else you have. You will then need to lie on your back or on the ground with the legs bent. Your arms will need to be straight as that stick rests on your thighs.
You will then go into what is called shoulder flection using the dowel rod. We're working on the range of motion for the shoulders with some assistance. You're going to raise the stick up toward the ceiling slowly with palms facing away from you. You will then slowly allow the stick to drop overhead as far as you're comfortable going. You should then return it back up to the ceiling toward those thighs. Your arms should stay fairly straight.
If you have one shoulder that's tighter than the other, this is a great exercise for you because that stick is going to allow the other arm to help out and get a little more stretch or range of motion in that tight arm.
During this exercise, you want to make sure that you don't arch the back. Instead, keep those abs engaged with your ribs down so that we're not compensating and all the motion is coming from those shoulders.
For this exercise, aim for about 15 repetitions.
4. “No Moneys”
The fourth exercise is called, no moneys. It's called that because it’s as if you're reaching into your pockets and pulling your hands out with no money or empty-handed. This exercise strengthens the shoulder external rotators. You can start this exercise by sitting or standing.
Firstly, tuck the elbows in at your side, hold the band with the palms up. You will then rotate those hands outward, away from each other. Then return back forward, pulling the band apart, and return. Keep those elbows tucked in at your side the whole time. Also, keep the shoulders down away from the ears.
We're strengthening the external rotators, which are the rotator cuff muscles that are so important for keeping your shoulder strong and stable. Make sure the shoulders are back with a nice tall posture.
For this exercise, aim for about 15 repetitions.
5. Lateral Raise (Shoulder Abduction)
Our final and fifth exercise is called lateral raise or shoulder abduction. For this particular exercise, we're going to stay standing with the band. This time, stand on top of it in the center while holding the ends of the band with the palms facing each other inward.
We're going to do shoulder abduction, which is called a lateral raise. We're going to raise the arms out laterally. You want to keep the arms straight, pull the shoulders down and then raise the arms out to the side to shoulder height, and then back down with control. Raise those arms up, out, and back down. Make sure you keep the arms fairly straight with the elbows locked. Avoid shrugging the shoulders. If you have a shorter band, you can certainly just do one arm at a time.
In addition, if it's too easy, you could step your feet out wider so there's more tension on the band and vice versa.
For this exercise, aim for about 15 repetitions.
We hope these stretches helped in relieving your shoulder pain! We'd love to hear your feedback, so be sure to let us know in the comment section of our YouTube video or our Facebook page.
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Sincerely,
Baljinder Bathla, M.D.
