Shoulder Rehab Exercise: Stretch, Stabilize, Strengthen!

>to fingertips.  Circle clockwise and then
Shoulder rehab exercise has all the benefits of treatingcounterclockwise. Repeat about 10 times each
and preventing further injury if you follow the patterndirection making the circles larger as you are able.
for healthy shoulders in this article.  STABILIZING  Strengthen the muscles that stabilize
Shoulder rehab exercise is becoming more and morethe shoulder joint complex focusing primarily on the
prevalent as the population not only ages, but alsoscapula or shoulder blades.  My favorite stabilizing
becomes more active.  The shoulder girdle making upexercise is listed below.
the scapula or shoulder blades, rotator cuff muscles,Elbow Pull:  From a Cobra position 
and deltoids for the most part is highly vulnerable toPosition:  Lying on your stomach with your elbows
injury due to its complex nature and improperflexed and under your shoulders, lift your chest so your
movement patterns.upper body weight is supported on your forearms.
Many shoulder injuries and conditions are related toMovement: Actively press or pull your body forward
movement and postural patterns, age, and trauma towith your elbows pressing into the mat and towards
the joint.  When we do shoulder rehab exerciseyour body.  Feel the chest widen as you draw the
properly depending on the health and the condition ofshoulder blades together working the muscles of the
the joint; we can hopefully alleviate and prevent mostupper back.  Keep the back of the neck long and
of these traumas from occurring in the first place.shoulders down.
There are many different types of shoulder injurySTRENGTHENING These would be specific
relating to: instability or dislocation, rotator cuff tears,exercises designed to work the muscles of the
impingement syndrome, and the infamous frozenshoulder joint including the rotator cuff muscles, deltoids,
shoulder.  What these shoulder conditions or injuriesand those that support the shoulder blades.
have in common is the shoulder rehab exercise thatSome of the best ways to begin strengthening the
will bring you back to a healthy functioning.muscles of the shoulder joint complex involve lying
The rehab exercises should all have these three thingsprone on a bed or table so the shoulder joint is
in common: Stretching, Stabilizing, and Strengthening!stable.  This allows you to strengthen the muscles
STRETCHING  This is the first step in restoringfrom a stable base reducing the chance for re-injury.
proper range of motion and function back to the joint. Prone(face down) Lying Exercises:  Do with both
Doing this first will help to restore circulation andarms for 8-12 repetitions 4-5 times per week until
healing. strength returns.  Then add weights 2-5 pounds max
I have listed below what I believe to be one of theand do every other day.
best exercises to begin restoring circulation and rangeShoulder Extension:
of motion back to the joint.Purpose:  Strengthen the posterior rotator cuff and
Shoulder Circumduction:shoulder muscles.
Purpose:  To gently increase the range of motion inPosition:  Lying face down on bench or table with one
the shoulder complex without any resistance.  Goodarm hanging just off.  Head is turned away from the
exercise to begin getting range after frozen shoulder.arm hanging down.
Position:  Standing bent over at the waist with yourAction: Extend the arm up and back with palms face
abdominal muscles tight, arms are dangling looselyup just until it is parallel with the floor. Repeat for 8-12
from the shoulder.  Relax the arms completely.repetitions.
Action:  Move the arms in small circles from shoulder