Patient Guide: Home Exercises for Shoulder Pain

Note: These exercises are for educational purposes. Always follow the specific plan provided by your physical therapist or physician

Goal: To create “space” in the shoulder joint, reduce inflammation, and strengthen the supporting muscles.

Guidelines for Success

  • Warm-up: Apply a warm compress or take a warm shower before starting.
  • Pain Rule: Do not push into “sharp” pain. A mild “stretch” or “burn” is normal.
  • Frequency: Perform these 3–5 times per week.

🚩 Red Flags: When to Stop

Stop exercising and call your doctor if you experience:

  • Sudden, sharp, or stabbing pain during movement.
  • New or worsening numbness or tingling in the arm or hand.
  • Noticeable swelling or redness around the shoulder joint.
  • A “popping” sensation followed by immediate weakness.

1. Pendulum Swing

  • Goal: Relax the joint and use gravity to create space.
  • How: Lean over a table, supporting your weight with your “good” arm. Let your painful arm hang straight down. Gently swing the arm in small circles, then forward/back and side-to-side.
  • Repetition: 2 minutes total.

2. Doorway Stretch (Pectoral Stretch)

  • Goal: Open the chest to improve posture and reduce shoulder rounding.
  • How: Stand in a doorway with your elbows at shoulder height and forearms resting on
  • the doorframe. Gently lean forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your chest.
  • Repetition: Hold 30 seconds; repeat 3 times.

3. Scapular Squeezes (Retraction)

  • Goal: Strengthen the muscles that stabilize the shoulder blade.
  • How: Stand tall with arms at your sides. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down, as if trying to put them in your back pockets. Do not shrug your shoulders up toward your ears.
  • Repetition: Hold 5 seconds; 10 repetitions.

4. External Rotation with Resistance

  • Goal: Strengthen the rotator cuff (Infraspinatus/Teres Minor).
  • How: Hold a resistance band between both hands. Keep your elbows tucked into your ribs at a 90 degree angle. Keeping elbows still, move your hands away from each other.
  • Repetition: 3 sets of 10.

Sources & References