Functional Performance Center

Physical Therapy & Sports Therapy Experts Tempe AZ

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Rehabilitating Shoulder Injuries

The shoulder is one of the most commonly injured areas of the body. Rotator cuff injuries, shoulder impingements, and adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) are just a few of the many injuries that can occur at this complex joint. The shoulder joint consists of several bones, many muscles and their associated tendons, multiple ligaments, bursa, and a joint capsule. Injury to any one of these structures can cause significant pain and subsequent dysfunction of the shoulder. Over time, this can lead to chronic pain and limited use of the arm.

Whether you’ve had a shoulder injury in the past, or you’ve recently endured a shoulder injury, there are things you can do to help improve functioning of your arm and prevent permanent damage to the joint. It is very important to maintain the range of motion of the shoulder complex. This includes the shoulder joint and the shoulder blade. It is vital to include stretches and exercises that involve increasing the mobility and strength of the shoulder blade muscles, as well as the shoulder joint, to maximize function.  The shoulder blade provides 1/3 of the total motion of the shoulder joint. Failure to address shoulder blade range of motion and strength can result in prolonged pain and activity limitations.

Listed below are several basic stretches and exercises to increase the range of motion and strength of the entire shoulder complex. If you are currently suffering from shoulder pain or dysfunction, come see a therapist at Functional Performance Center today (call us to schedule), for a full examination and personalized exercise program! Shoulder pain does not have to be permanent!

 

Forward Flexion with a Stick

                         

Start with your thumb on the end of the stick, with the same foot forward. Shift your weight onto the front foot and use your bottom arm to push the forward arm up to your ear, keeping your elbow straight. Return to starting position, repeat 15-20 times, then switch sides. Perform 2-3 sets per side. This will help to improve shoulder mobility and shoulder blade rhythm.

 

Doorway Stretch

                        

Standing in doorway, put arm on frame at shoulder height, with same foot forward. Shift weight forward, driving chest straight ahead, until you feel a stretch through the front of the shoulder and chest. Return to starting position, repeat 15-20 times, then switch to other side. Perform 2-3 sets per side. This will help to improve muscle length in the front of the arm and allow more mobility for the shoulder and shoulder blade.

 

Scapular Retraction with Resistance Band

                        

Start with arm fully forward, with your thumb facing down and the opposite foot forward. Shift your weight back, pulling the band back to armpit, your thumb should end facing up. Return to starting position, repeat 15-20 times, then switch sides. Perform 2-3 sets per side. Make sure to let arm go fully forward and fully back to maximize benefits of exercise. This will help strengthen the shoulder and shoulder blade muscles.

Solving the Pain Puzzle

Where is the pain really coming from?

It can be very frustrating trying to figure out the cause of your back pain or knee pain or ankle pain when you are suffering from multiple different issues?  So, you go see a foot doctor for your foot/ankle problem, then you see an orthopedic surgeon for your knee pain and then a back doctor for your low back issue.  You often come away confused about which one of your problems is the root cause or if you have multiple causes.  You get frustrated that all your doctors don’t seem to communicate or that nobody is actually helping YOU to solve YOUR pain puzzle.

Seeking medical opinions is always a good start and seeing specialists is a good way to get answers, but often times you need to see a physical therapist that can help you put YOUR body puzzle together.  Most of the patients that we see have or have had multiple issues.  An old ankle surgery from 10 years ago may not necessarily still be directly bothering you, but since then, you have had a knee surgery and now are suffering from recurring bouts of low back pain.  So, perhaps the ankle range of motion is limited and is partially causing compensations to occur that are limiting how your leg muscles are working and you have functional weakness on that leg.  That then leads to excessive forces to your pelvis and low back.  As physical therapists, we will develop individualized exercise prescriptions that are unique to your complete functional situation.

Since we have the experience of dealing with a variety of patients with multiple issues, we consistently identify common trends in joint immobility and muscle weakness.  So, we have listed a few lower body stretching and strengthening exercises that can be helpful in getting you functioning again.  Please note that it is best to actually have a therapist evaluate you prior to starting them and get clearance from your physician.  All exercises should be pain-free.  Give FPC a call to see if we can help solve your “pain puzzle”!

Calf Stretch

Begin with most of your weight on the back leg with your foot facing the wall, heel on the ground and hands on the wall.
Step your front leg to the right (shifting your hips to the right), toe touching the ground.
Step your front leg to the left (shifting your hips to the left). Repeat 10-15 times and switch legs.

Hip Flexor Stretch

Begin standing in a wide stance with both feet facing the stable step that is approximately knee height (bathtubs work great).
Then, keeping a wide base, put one foot on the tub/step, still facing that foot forward.
Put you hands on the front knee and drive that knee forward, keeping the back knee straight, until you feel tightness in the front of the hip on that grounded leg.  Hold 1-2 seconds and return to the starting position.  Repeat 10-15 times, then switch legs.

Single-Leg Mini-Squat Strengthening

Begin standing on one leg and resting your hands on a counter-top, or something stable.
Bend into a shallow single-leg knee bend (pain-free).  Repeat 10-20 times, adjusting the pressure with your hands on the counter, then switch to the other leg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have advanced strength, move away from using your hands on the counter for support.
Perform the single leg squat into a deeper angle and progress to reaching your hands to the floor, and then potentially using hand weights.  It’s OK to tap your opposite toe on the ground to help with your balance.