Mobility Exercises for Rotator Cuff Strain
Mobility exercises which may form part of a rehabilitation program for a rotator cuff strain or injury.
The following guidelines are for information purposes only. We recommend seeking professional advice before beginning rehabilitation.
Stretching should be done as soon as pain will allow and maintained throughout the rehabilitation process and beyond. Little and often is generally better than a big effort for a few days and then forget it as soon as the injury has settled down.
Pendulum exercises
- Gently swing the in a circular motion whilst lying on your front or leaning forwards (as shown).
- Gradually increase the size of the circle to increase the range of motion.
- Try to relax the arm and use the momentum of the swing.
- It is important that range of motion exercises are done as early as possible and frequently to prevent the shoulder tightening up again.
Aided mobility
- Use a long object such as a broom handle
- Hold it in each hand, wider than shoulder width
- Use the good arm to move the injured shoulder.
- Lift it as high as you can comfortably manage, stop if it is painful
- Try to relax the injured arm so it is not working
- Repeat several times a day, trying to gradually increase the range
Front of shoulder against a wall
- Place one forearm against a fixed point (such as a doorway), with the elbow and shoulder at 90 degrees.
- Gently turn your body away to stretch the front of the shoulder and chest.
- Again, hold the position for 20 seconds and repeat 3 times.
- The athlete should feel a gentle stretch in the front of the shoulder but not pain.
Back of the shoulder
- Place one arm across your chest and pull it in tight with the other.
- The athlete should feel a gentle stretch at the back of the shoulder.
- Again, hold the position for 20 seconds and repeat 3 times.
- The athlete should feel a gentle stretch in the back of the shoulder but not pain.
Muscle energy technique
- The therapist will rotate the shoulder as far as it will go (without pain) one way (usually either medial or lateral rotation).
- They will then ask the patient to push against them (in this case in the direction of the white arrow) at about 20% of their maximum force
- This contraction is held for 10 seconds
- The patient then relaxes, as the therapist gently applies more force to increase the range of motion.
- This is held for another 20-30 seconds, before the process is repeated 3-5 times.
