Are you experiencing shoulder and arm pain from a recent injury or chronic issue? Your shoulder performs various movements daily, bearing weight and giving your arm movement in 360 degrees. With four different joints, many connecting bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles reaching into your arm with all of its components, overuse and trauma affect your mobility dramatically.
Are you just meant to put up with it, or is there a way to improve your situation? Fortunately, there is. First, you need to visit a chiropractor to receive a proper diagnosis of your condition. The chiropractor can recommend the necessary treatments to manage your shoulder and arm pain effectively. In addition, you may aid your recovery process with various exercises.
Here are nine physiotherapy exercises for the shoulder and arm pain:
Exercise #1: Shoulder Rolls
Shoulder rolls are excellent physiotherapy exercises for shoulder and arm pain. It involves a small, circular rotation while standing. With your arms by your side, slowly lift your shoulders and rotate them forward, making a full circle around. Continue at full extension with your should blade touching as you follow through to the back and stretching them out as you rotate to the front. Do ten complete circles and then reverse the motion for 10. Do three sets of these.
Exercise #2: Neck Stretch
Your neck is interconnected with your shoulders and may play a role in shoulder pain. This exercise involves standing or sitting upright and moving only your neck. Start with forwarding and backward tilts to your limit and hold each position for 5 seconds. Repeat back and forth for 30 reps. Then do the same reps until you feel the stretch or pain. The final part is a full rolling action clockwise and counterclockwise around for 30 times each way, alternating ten reps at a time.
Exercise #3: Arm Across The Chest
While standing up straight, hold your right arm out at chest height and grab the right elbow with your left hand. Gently pull your arm across your chest until you feel resistance and pain, then hold for 30 seconds. Alternate with both arms for 3-5 sets.
Exercise #4: Pendulum
A pendulum exercise involves hanging your arm straight down as you bend over and support your body weight on a chair with the other hand. Make small circular movements with the free hand ten times clockwise and then ten times counterclockwise. Next, switch position and repeat the reps for the other side. Do 3-5 sets and repeat twice a day.
Exercise #5: Doorway Stretch
This is a good stretch for your shoulders, chest, and arm. Stand in any doorway and put your arm on the frame with your elbow higher than your shoulder. Lean forward until you feel the stretch in your shoulder and chest. Turn your body away to engage the muscles more. Hold this for 10-15 seconds and repeat for five reps, then switch to the other side.
Exercise #6: Total Arm Movement
This is an exercise that progresses and engages the entire arm. Start sitting and lay your arms on your legs, palms up. Curl your fingers into your arms and then out again. Do this five times. On the sixth, curl up your wrists with it. Do this five times. Next, double curl and bring your wrist to your shoulders. Repeat five times and finish by the addition of raising your elbows until they are parallel with your ears five times. Repeat this whole sequence for three sets.
Exercise #7: Bilateral Wall Slides
Start by placing your hands shoulder-width apart on the wall and step forward with your right leg as you slide your hands up as far as you can. Hold for 10 seconds and step back as you slide your hand back down. Repeat this ten times, alternating right and left leg. Go for 3-5 sets.
Exercise #8: Overhead Stretch
This is a fairly simple exercise with one full movement designed to give a deep stretch. Simply reach both hands over your head and hold for 15-30 seconds. You can alternate reps with hands shoulder-width apart and hand clasped together. You can also do this stretch reverse by clasping your hands together behind your back, locking elbows and slowly raising your arms to your limit.
Exercise #9: Band Exercises
If you have a resistance band, these work well for pain.
- External Rotation Attach the band at elbow level and grab with an overhand grip. Keep your arms level with your elbow, pull the band across your chest, and hold for 10 seconds. Slowly return to the beginning position. This time you rotate your forearm away from your body, pivoting at the elbow. Repeat each for ten reps and switch hands.
- Internal Rotation With this rotation, you start in the parallel position, arm 45 degrees away from your body with your forearm extended forward. With tension on the band, rotate your arm towards your body until it is flat against your opposite side. Hold for 10 seconds and slowly release. You can also add the lateral pull across in-between reps. After your set, move to the other arm and repeat.
You can do these great exercises at home when you experience shoulder and arm pain. For worsening or lingering pain, visit a physiotherapist to help you recover and fine-tune your exercises.
