Shoulder Replacement Exercises

Exercise Regime

It is important to start moving the elbow stretching it out straight and moving the hand normally immediately after surgery. The physiotherapist will come to your hospital bed and help you move the arm passively up to approx. 90 degrees. This will be performed by the therapist for you, so not using your own muscles initially.

You will be given an exercise sheet which will give you the normal regime for the type of operation you have had. 

You will feel some discomfort while doing the exercises. If the pain is very severe or lasts more than 30 minutes after the exercises, then you may need to change what you are doing. This is best discussed with your physiotherapist.

You can use ice and painkillers before you start the exercises to reduce the pain. You can repeat the ice after if needed.

Exercises are best done little and often around 4-5 times a day for 5-10 minutes

Gradually increase the number of repetitions that you do.

After 3–4 weeks you can increase the length of time exercising.

Early Phase 1 Exercises

These are performed from Day 1 to Day 14

1. Pendular exercises

Standing holding on to something stable. Then lean well forwards and let the arm swing to and fro forwards and backwards. Do 20 times

Then in the same position move it in and out x20

Then do a small circle one way and then the other way

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2. Shoulder shrugs

Standing shrug your shoulders up and forwards and then back and down.

Try and get your shoulder blades to come together in your back as you roll the shoulders down.

Repeat 10 times

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3. Double arm lift in lying

Lift up both arms up towards the bed head. You can help the bad arm up with your good hand or you can hold a stick

Try and do this with your elbows straight but if unable to then start with the elbows bent x 10

Progress to arms straight.

4. Shoulder rotation in lying

Lying down hold the walking stick with your elbows bent.

Keep your elbow by your side and push the stick towards your bad side to help move the shoulder in to rotation. Just ease into this movement  gently and repeat x 10

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Keep elbows in and then move stick out and back to help improve shoulder rotation
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5. Shoulder flexion with a pulley

You can set up a pulley system over the door or attached to a coat hook on the door.

Sit or stand and pull down with your good arm to help raise the bad on up x 10

6. Shoulder flexion in sitting

Slide your arm out straight across the table x10

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Week 2 – 6 weeks

Phase 2- Continue any of the other exercises that still need work.

Then add in the following:

7. Shoulder flexion to 90 degrees then small circles

Lie on your back- Raise your arm up with the help of the other one to 90 degrees 

Once the arm is up there try and hold it there. If you are able to do that try and do small circles in the air with the hand x 10 each way

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Lift arms together
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Release the good arm. Try and do little circles

8. Half arm lifts

Lift your arm up to vertical position with the elbow bent. Gradually try and lower this half arm towards the bed and back up again x 10

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Start with arms bent hands by your chest
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Press them up to the ceiling

9. Stretches

Standing do some stretches-

Firstly put your bad arm behind your back and try and pull it down towards your opposite buttock x 5

shoulder stick ex

10. External Rotation in sitting with a stick.

Place a rolled towel under the arm. Keep your elbow tucked in onto the roll. Now try and help the arm rotate outwards gently.

11. Internal rotation

Then try and stretch it up your back towards your neck x 5

You can add in holding a towel exercise where you hold a towel behind your back with one hand behind the back and the other behind the neck . Then pull up with the arm behind the neck to try and ease the other one further up the back.

Then swap hands and put bad arm behind neck and try and pull it downwards with the other arm via the towel.

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Here the Left arm is pulling the Right down behind the back
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Here the right arm is pulling the bad left arm up the back
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12. Then Pull the arm across your body towards the opposite shoulder x5

13. Gentle resisted muscle exercises- Lateral rotation

Firstly stand next to a wall sideways with your elbow bent and push your hand in to the wall. Hold for 10 secs and repeat 5 times

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14. Resisted Abduction

In the same position but this time push your elbow in to the wall. Hold and repeat x 5

15. Resisted extension

Stand with your back to the wall and with the elbow bent push back in to the wall. Hold 10 secs and repeat x 5

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16. Resisted flexion

Now facing the wall with your elbow bent push your fist in to the wall x 5

17. Wall slides

With your hand and elbow resting on the wall try and slide it up the wall

Start with 5 repetitions then gradually

Then do the same facing sideways to the wall.

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18. Half arm raise

With your hand on your shoulder -Lift the elbow up forwards 

Repeat x 10

19. Half arm Abduction

Stand with your hand on your shoulder. Now lift the elbow up and back down. With half the weight of the arm this is much easier to do than with the arm straight

Repeat x 10

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Week 3

Theraband exercises

Resisted external rotation

Standing or sitting keep your elbow tucked in to your side and pull elastic outwards. Do a slow controlled movement gently

Repeat x 5 and build up to 20

See Theraband exercises

Shoulder exercise with a Theraband

Week 4

Other exercises

– Stand and push one hand into the palm of the other. Repeat 5 times and gradually increase to 20 repetitions.

– When you can do this easily you can use the Theraband and with elbow bent pull your hand in towards your stomach. Tie the Theraband on to a door knob or something similar.

Watch the knots to be sure that the Theraband does not suddenly give way

See Theraband exercises Internal rotation

Shoulder exercise with a Theraband

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Shoulder flexion in standing

Clasp your hands together and raise both of them above your head.

Then lower them separately out sideways with the elbows bent.

Repeat x 5

When easy do it both ways so go out to the side first and then down forwards

Shoulder stretch

Lie down on the bed. Put both hands behind your neck. Then try and let your elbows move apart downwards towards the bed. Repeat x 5

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 Pressups against the wall

This is a good strengthening exercise. You can make it harder the further away you stand from the wall.

Hydrotherapy

Water based exercises are a great option after shoulder surgery.

See all shoulder exercises that you can perform in water in the following link.

Shoulder Exercises in water

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