You can notice instability in the shoulder after a long period of disuse, injury or accident. You also can notice discomfort, observe your shoulder slipping, or experience instability during all or certain activities. Multi-motion exercises may help restore coordination and strength in your shoulder area. Check with your physician before starting any exercise for shoulder instability.
Range of Motion
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians' FamilyDoctor website, leaning over and rotating your shoulder can help relieve and prevent symptoms of shoulder instability. Stand about 3 feet away from a table. Lean forward until your body forms almost a 90-degree angle. Place your right hand palm-side down on the table to support yourself. Allow the other arm to just dangle straight down. Slowly draw circles in the air with your left arm. Begin with small circular shapes and work your way up to larger ones. Repeat up to 10 revolutions, switching directions at any point if you desire. Switch to the other arm.
Walk Up
The "Walk Up" can help strengthen and align unstable muscles in the shoulders, and is listed among therapy exercises on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' website. Stand in front of a wall or doorframe with your hands resting at your sides. Keeping your right elbow straight, slowly walk your fingers up the wall as high as you can. Hold the exercise for about 10 seconds and then carefully walk your fingers down to the starting position. Repeat three times. Do four repetitions with your left arm. Try to do this exercise three times a day.
Arm Lifts
Lie on your left side with your right forearm resting across your stomach. Position a pillow or rolled up towel beneath your head if needed. Hold a free weight in your right arm and slowly lift your hand away from your tummy. Make sure that you do not raise your elbow -- keep it close to your side. Repeat for as many repetitions as possible and then switch sides. This exercise will help rehabilitate the muscles and ligaments in the shoulders, helping to prevent scarring and restore stabilization.
Shoulder Rotation
Stand in a doorframe or in front of the corner of a wall. Bend your right elbow about 90 degrees and reach around the corner of the wall or to the outside of the doorframe. Push your hand and arm into the wall for at least five seconds. Relax back into the starting position. Repeat up to nine more times. Switch to the left arm and continue for 10 more repetitions. This will help strengthen the rotator cuff muscles and improve the endurance of the muscles that control scapula movement and stability.
References
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Shoulder Surgery Exercise Guide
- FamilyDoctor.org: Shoulder Pain
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Chronic Shoulder Instability
- UW Medicine Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine: Home Exercises for the Unstable Shoulder
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Shoulder Surgery Exercise Guide
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