Below you will find some videos of movements that will be beneficial at improving your shoulder strength and mobility prior to surgery. Evidence has shown that doing physical therapy before surgery improves patient satisfaction and strength following surgery and it has been shown to shorten the recovery process following surgery.
A few important points
The movements below are not meant to increase your pain.
It is ok to feel stretching, muscle fatigue, and/or slight discomfort
Any pain should should be mild, reduced with ice, and go away within 24 hours
If a movement is causing a significant increase in pain, that particular movement should be avoided or you may be able to reduce the pain by going through less motion or not pushing as hard.
They should be done gently.
Below you will find a list of Basic Movements that are safe and focus on light mobilization and muscle control which are two key components to improviong your ability to recover from surgery more quickly and effectively
These movements can be done every day 2-3x/day as they are meant to be easy and not require singificant set up or equipment
Below you will also find a list titled Over Achiever Movements
These movments are a little more demanding and should be done every other day
They are meant to challenge you but in a healthy way. That means make you tired or challenge your mobility but any soreness afterwards should be mild and gone the next day
You should not do these movement again until any soreness as completely subsided from doing them previously
Basic Movements:
Movement #1: Shoulder extension
This should be done 10-15x gently
Can be done multiple times a day (4-5) as it is easy to do and can be done especially after periods of sitting or being sluched forward to open the chest and take some poressure off of the shoulder
Movement #2: Isometric humeral head depression
This is shown in an easier position and progresses to more demanding at higher arm elevation
Remain below the threshold of any pain
Stay low if mpore comfortable and then try higher surfaces as able
Hold each 5 sec and repeat 5-10x
Also can be done multiple times per day as it is easy to do and tries to lull your shoulder out of the rounded forward and elevated position that it finds itself in
Movement #3: Light Pec Mobilization
Over Achiever Movements: Completed every other day, 1x/day
IF ANY OF THE MOVEMENTS CAUSE SIGNIFICANT PAIN, STOP DOING THAT PARTICULAR MOVEMENT OR STICK WITH THE BASIC MOVEMENTS ABOVE
YOU MAY USE ICE FOLLOWING FOR 10-15 MINUTES TO REDUCE PAIN OR SORENESS
Below is a circuit of movements: You will do each movement the desired amount then move onto the next movement. You will then go thorugh the sequence again to do each movement 2x by going through the circuit 2x.
Movement #1: Cane External Rotation
If painful move gently in and out of the pain or just short of the pain 10-15x
If you are able to feel very mild stretch without singificant pain, only then should you hold the very mild stretch position for 10-20 sec 5x after you have done the movement in and out above
Movement #2: Prone or banded shoulder extension
Choose one of the movements below
Complete 10-20 reps slowly with a pause when elbow is straight or when arm is at your side
Option #1: Prone Shoulder Extension
Option #2: Band Tricep Extension
Movement #5: Shoulder flexion
Use a broomstick/post is sitting
make sure you are not shrugging and remain short of significant pain
