Not everyone will require surgery after sustaining a rotator cuff injury. Physical therapy can help many people get relief from their pain and restore their range of movement.
Whether you have been injured or feel pain in your shoulder, these rotator cuff exercises for pain relief should help you feel better. You will have to perform them regularly to enjoy their benefits, as doing them only once will make no difference in how you feel.
Remember to start slowly and not try too many exercises at a time. And if you feel pain while performing any of these movements, it might be best to stop and speak with an osteopath for further advice.
Here are some popular rotator cuff exercises for pain relief.
1. Scapular retraction
Scapular retraction exercises are also known as shoulder squeezes. They are an easy way to stretch and slowly strengthen the muscles supporting your rotator cuff and your shoulder, and they can even help improve your posture.
Simply stand up straight, keep your neck relaxed, and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold this position for no longer than 2 seconds.
You can repeat the scapular retraction 15 times and do it again a few times during the day.
2. The pendulum
The pendulum is another rotator cuff exercise that seems pretty simple but will help relieve your pain if you do it regularly.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and bend down at the waist. The arm of your painful shoulder should hang down, while the other one should hold onto a chair or a countertop to help you keep your balance.
Keep your arm relaxed while you shift your body weight to make it swing back and forth like a pendulum. Keep doing this for up to 30 seconds before stopping.
Repeating this exercise a few times throughout your day should make a difference.
3. Doorway stretch
A doorway stretch should help warm up your painful muscles; all you need to perform this exercise is an open doorway.
Stand in the doorway, and grip its sides with each of your hands. Your hands should be at the height of your shoulders or below them.
Next, keep your back straight and gently lean forward until you feel a light stretch in the front of your shoulders. Then, lean backward.
Repeat the exercise 10 times, but be sure not to overstretch.
4. Wall slide
If your rotator cuffs cause pain, lifting your arms above your head might be difficult. To try to resolve this issue, you can do wall slide exercises.
Stand in front of a wall, and place your forearms flat on its surface, with your hands pointing up. Keep your neck relaxed.
Then, slowly slide your arms up the wall. Go as high as you can without feeling pain, then slide your arms back down, keeping them relaxed.
Repeat ten times, and do this exercise a few times during the day.
5. Countertop plank
To do a countertop plank, stand up in front of a countertop and place the palms of your hands on it, shoulder-width apart. Then, keep your hands on the countertop while you stand back a foot or two. Make sure your knees are straight but not locked.
Hold this position for up to 15 seconds, and try to think of this exercise whenever you are near a counter in your kitchen or your bathroom.
You can slowly shift your weight from one arm to another while holding the plank position.
6. Side-lying external rotation
Lie down on the side opposite your painful shoulder to perform this exercise. It’s a good idea to place a rolled-up towel between your body and the elbow of your painful arm to help support your muscles.
While keeping your elbow on the towel, slowly rotate your arm until your hand points toward the ceiling. Stop rotating your arm as soon as you feel some strain. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
As you get relief from your pain and gain some strength, you can do the exercise with a small weight of no more than 2 pounds.
7. Serratus punch
Lie down and bend your knees to perform this last exercise. Raise your painful arm to form a 90 degrees angle, then slowly reach toward the ceiling as if you wanted to punch it.
Repeat ten times. As you relieve your pain and get more comfortable with this exercise, you can perform the serratus punch while holding a 1 or 2 pounds weight in your hand.
If you are wondering, this exercise is called a serratus punch because it targets the anterior muscle. The purpose of this muscle is to attach your shoulder blade to your rib cage.
