Codman's pendulum exercises are physical therapy exercises designed to increase range of motion in your shoulder joint. If you experience pain in the shoulder joint due to trauma or overuse, your physician or physical therapist may recommend Codman's exercises. Before beginning these exercises, you should obtain a physician's permission to ensure you will not injure yourself.
Side-to-Side
Bend over at your waist and place your right hand on a table or stable piece of furniture. Let your left arm hang free. Take a few deep breaths and focus on letting the muscles relax. Slowly swing the arm toward the table and then move the arm away from the table. This is one repetition. Continue to perform the exercise until you have completed 20 repetitions. Swap to your opposite arm. Repeat this exercise four times per day to experience maximum benefits.
Forward-and-Back
This Codman's pendulum exercise can be performed while lying on your stomach on the side of a bed or when leaning over onto a table or chair for support. Let your injured arm freely hang over the edge. Let the shoulder blade relax and hang down toward the floor. Slowly and gently swing your arm forward and backward to complete one repetition. When initially performing the exercise, your range of motion may be limited to 15 degrees. Over time, however, you should aim to reach as high as 30- to 45-degrees. Start with 15 seconds of this exercise and work your way up to three to five minutes.
Circular Motion
Hinge forward at your waist and place your unaffected arm on a supportive table or piece of furniture. Let your affected arm hang free, letting the shoulder blade drop. Relax your shoulder and body as you slowly circle the arm in a clockwise movement. After about 30 seconds rotating clockwise, reverse the motion and move the arm counterclockwise for 30 seconds. Repeat until you have completed the exercise for three to five minutes.
Tips
Codman's pendulum exercises are designed to use momentum to continue the motion. Once you initiate a movement, the force of motion should assist you, reducing the amount of force you have to place on the arm. As you increase in strength and range of motion, you may wish to hold a light dumbbell, which increases momentum. Cease the exercise if at any time you experience discomfort. The exercises are meant to stretch the arm, but should not result in pain.
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