Your shoulder is the most flexible joint in your body, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Three bones make up this ball-and-socket joint, allowing you to move your arm in wide range of motion to almost any position to the front, side, behind or above your body. This increased flexibility comes at the expense of joint instability, leading to injury and a reduction in your range of motion, requiring physical therapy alone or as part of post-operative care.
Initiating Therapy
Breathe deeply before starting therapy to relax your body, especially your shoulders. Take four or five deep breaths to expand and move your chest wall on your affected side. Raise your shoulders and then rotate them forward, down and back in a circular motion. This loosens your shoulder muscles, as well as the muscles in your chest, neck and back, which enhances the benefits of range-of-motion exercises.
Elements
Physical therapy may begin with shoulder adduction exercises designed to improve your range of motion. From a seated position with your arms dangling at your sides, slowly raise your arms sideways toward your head, leading with your thumbs. Stop when your arms are at a 90-degree angle to your body. Hold the position while you count to three and then return your arms to your sides.
Hand wall-climbing exercises increase the forward range of motion in your shoulder, according to Ohio Health. Start in a standing position, placing your hands against a wall at shoulder height. Walk your hands up the wall until you feel a pulling sensation. Work your hands downward to the starting position.
Physical therapy gives you a wider range of motion when moving your arm to extreme positions, like over your head or twisted behind your back. Use a back-scratching motion to increase your shoulder's range of motion backward, allowing you to reach your hand down and around to the opposite shoulder blade. Shoulder flexion exercises enhance your ability to raise your arms over your head.
Repetitions
Start with five repetitions and work toward a maximum of 20 repetitions of each exercise element. Your physical therapist will tell you how many times you should exercise each day. Do not raise your arm above your shoulder for two weeks after your injury or surgery, unless your doctor or physical therapist directs you otherwise.
Considerations
Increase your shoulder's range of motion through gentle and controlled stretching. Perform the elements of each exercise smoothly and slowly until you feel a mild pulling sensation in your shoulder. Do not jerk or cause yourself pain to increase your measurable range of motion, as injury may cause a setback in your progress. Your physical therapist will chart your progress by measuring your range of motion in degrees.
