The Top 4 Exercises to Fix Shoulder Pain Now!

Are you one of the of many Canadians who are currently dealing with shoulder pain?

Shoulder pain affects people in many different ways. Some people have discomfort putting their jacket on or pulling up their pants. For others, shoulder pain comes at night when they are trying to sleep. Others have difficulty while driving their car while others struggle throwing a ball for their dog or with their children.

Regardless of WHEN you feel your pain, shoulder pain can sure limit your life.

Does this sound like you?

If so, you’re going to want to read this blog. Today we are going to go over some of the basics of shoulder injuries and show you some of the physio exercises we use daily to treat shoulder pain at MOMENTUM Physical Therapy in Okotoks.

Anyway, back to shoulder injuries.

First of all - Why do shoulders hurt?

To keep things simple, shoulders are complex joints that can easily get unhappy. The shoulder is made up of three bones (the humerus, clavicle, and scapula) that are held together by a tight elastic capsule (the labrum) and is moved by four rotator cuff muscles (the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapualris, and teres minor). If any of these structures are injured, the shoulder won’t move correctly and pain will occur.

Injuries to the shoulder can occur by either a sudden injury (such as falling off your bike or lifting something too heavy) or from repetition (such as throwing a baseball incorrectly or driving your truck with poor posture).

Common injuries that we see at MOMENTUM Physio for the shoulder include:

Rotator cuff muscle strains
Shoulder joint sprains
Shoulder bursitis
Shoulder dislocations
Collar bone fractures
Postural shoulder pain

Regardless of what is injured, all these shoulder injuries will cause pain.

If you think you have dislocated your shoulder OR that you have broken a bone, you need to seek medical attention from a doctor. These injuries need a specific treatment plan (and maybe an x-ray).

For less urgent shoulder injuries or any other shoulder pain, we always recommend a consultation with one of our MOMENTUM physios to get a treatment plan that is tailored specific to your needs. The vast majority of shoulder injuries will heal naturally when they are provided with hands on therapy AND specific exercises. At your first physiotherapy session, your physio will evaluate your shoulder to determine what is causing you your pain (and they will tell you what is going on!), they will provide you with some hands on therapy to help you feel better THAT DAY, and they will give you some specific exercises and a plan to heal your shoulder.

Sounds great, right!?

Well, if you would like to try some exercises before your first visit with us to get the ball rolling, here are our Top 4 Physio Exercises to reduce your shoulder pain today!

Top 4 Physio Exercises to Reduce Shoulder Pain

Physio Exercise 1: Rotator Cuff Muscle Release

Whenever your body feels pain, your body goes into a self protection mode. Your body will tighten muscles around an injury in order to help protect it. We see this all the time in the shoulder. This tightening of muscles will create stiffness and shoulder pain.

In order to reduce your shoulder pain, you need to loosen those tightened rotator cuff muscles. We do this simply by using a lacrosse ball and rolling out the tightened muscles on the front and the back of the shoulder.

Equipment Needed: A lacrosse ball (or hard rubber ball) and a pillowcase

Physio Exercise #1 - HOW TO do a rotator cuff muscle release:

Step 1: Grab a lacrosse ball and place it in a pillow case.

Step 2: Find a solid wall (we do not recommend doing this on your feature wall in your living room incase you leave a dent in the wall!)

Step 3: Throw the pillowcase (with the ball in the bottom of it) over your sore shoulder and lean against the solid wall.

Step 4: Roll the ball around on the back of the shoulder until you find a sore spot (stay off the hard bony spine in the centre of the back). Press into this sore spot so that it is tolerable but uncomfortable. Hold for 20-30 seconds before locating a new sore spot. Complete this for 4-5 minutes.

Step 5: Remove the ball from the pillowcase. Find a door frame and place the ball between your upper chest and the doorframe. Press into any sore spots so that it is tolerable but uncomfortable. Hold for 20-30 seconds before locating a new sore spot. Complete this for 4-5 minutes.

Once completed, this exercise should have removed some of the tension in the shoulder. This is the first physio exercise to reducing the pain you feel in your shoulder.

Physio Exercise 2: Shoulder Pendulums

In addition to tightened shoulder muscles, your shoulder capsule can also tighten up. (As a quick reminder, the capsule is a thick rubbery band that holds the shoulder bones together). Like with the muscles, a tightened capsule can cause movement restrictions and pain.

Often these sore shoulders will feel great if we can gently stretch that shoulder capsule out. This is done simply with the physio exercise of shoulder pendulums.

Equipment Needed: Stable table/chair

Physio Exercise #2 - HOW TO do a shoulder pendulum:

Step 1: Find a stable table or chair. With your good arm, lean your body weight against the stable surface.

Step 2: Let your injured arm dangle forward.

Step 3: Gently sway your hips back and forth in order to get the shoulder to start to swing in a circular motion. Allow these circles to be as large as possible without pain (up until the size of a garbage can lid). Complete 30 to 40 rotations in one direction.

Step 4: Repeat the other direction.

Physio Exercise 3: Shoulder Stick Stretches

Once you have loosened the shoulder muscles (via the Rotator Cuff Release exercise) and the shoulder capsule (via the Pendulums), it is time to get that shoulder moving again.

Stretching the shoulder out (and having it move through a full arc of movement) is a powerful way to alleviate shoulder stiffness and pain.

Equipment Needed: Broom Handle

Physio Exercise #3 - HOW TO do a shoulder stick stretch:

Step 1: Grab a broom handle (or other straight stick)

Step 2: With the injured arm, grasp the end of the stick with your thumb pointing UP (this is important as thumb DOWN will cause mega pain!)

Step 3: With the uninjured arm, comfortably grab the other end of the stick.

Step 4: With the injured arm resting on the top of the stick, gently push the stick straight out in front of you using your good arm. Do not push through pain. Hold for a count of 3 at the top of the motion and then lower down. Repeat 10 times

Step 5: Repeat the same process as in Step 4 but with the arm out to the side.

Physio Exercise 4: Shoulder Rows

Now that your shoulder has loosened up, it is important that we activate your shoulder stabilizing muscles. In order to take the load off of your injured shoulder, it is important that the shoulder stabilizer muscles can effectively support the shoulder.

Interestingly enough, these stabilizing muscles are found on your back (your mid/lower fibres of traps and rhomboids, to be exact). When these muscles are active, they pull the shoulders down and backwards - which takes pressure off of the rotator cuff muscles.

Equipment Needed: Rubber tubing/band

Physio Exercise #4 - HOW TO do shoulder rows:

Step 1: Connect the rubber tubing to a secure door or bannister

Step 2: With each hand, grab an end of the rubber tubing.

Step 3: Gently squeeze your shoulder blades together - as if you were pinching a pencil between between your shoulder blades in the middle of your back. You should not feel your shoulders raise up towards your ears!

Step 4: While maintaining the squeeze, gently pull the band straight towards your chest by bending at the elbows. Go until your hands touch your chest or if you feel some discomfort. Hold for a count of 1.

Step 5: Relax back to the starting position and relax your shoulder blades.

Step 6: Repeat 20 times (being sure to always complete Step 3 before each row!)

Let’s Get Started

Taken as a whole, these 4 physio exercises are foundational exercises that we use daily at MOMENTUM Physical Therapy in Okotoks to help our clients reduce their shoulder pain.

If you are dealing with shoulder pain, give these exercises a try! Hopefully they can help kick some of that annoying shoulder pain that you are feeling.

If you continue to have shoulder pain, or would like a personalized treatment program that involves hands on therapy and exercises specific to your needs, our physiotherapy team here at MOMENTUM Physical Therapy in Okotoks would be more then thrilled to lend you a hand. Give us a call today at 403-982-5600 to get booked in with one of our awesome therapists. Or book online from home here!

All the best to you on your shoulder recovery journey. We hope that you have found this shoulder blog useful!

Call us today at 403-982-5600 to find out how our team can help you get that lower back feeling 100% again.

If you would like more information, email us and request that one of our physiotherapists call you to discuss your shoulder pain in detail. We would be happy to answer any further questions you might have.

We’re here for you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can physio help shoulder pain?

YES! Physical therapy that includes hands-on therapy and specific shoulder exercises has been researched and shown to be extremely effective at resolving and preventing shoulder pain. Often physical therapy can be used to prevent the need for medications and surgeries in order to manage your shoulder pain.

Can shoulder pain be fixed?

Yes! Most shoulder pains can be easily reduced and fixed with some hands on physical therapy and specific physio exercises. . Visiting a physical therapist, such as the team at MOMENTUM Physical Therapy in Okotoks, will help you determine what hands on therapy you need as well as the specific shoulder exercises that will help you resolve your shoulder pain.

Do all shoulder injuries need surgery?

The majority of shoulders do not require a surgery. With the correct home exercise program and hands on physiotherapy, the vast majority of shoulders can heal naturally without the need of medications, injections, or surgery.

What are some common shoulder injuries?

Shoulder strain
Rotator cuff strain
Torn rotator cuff
Shoulder bursitis
Shoulder dislocations
Collar bone fractures
Shoulder joint sprains and strains
Postural shoulder pain

How do i do a shoulder row exercise?

Here’s a quick video demonstration of a shoulder row exercise in a standing position!

Momentum Physical Therapy, located in Okotoks, Alberta, is ‘Here for YOU’.

If you are experiencing shoulder pain, have a back injury, or you just want to learn more about how physiotherapy help heal your pain, don’t delay and call Momentum Physical Therapy today. You can reach a registered physiotherapist at Momentum by calling 403-982-5600. We look forward to helping you feel you best again.

Top 4 Exercises to Fix Shoulder Pain