According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common causes of shoulder pain are injuries to the rotator cuff. Four muscles of the rotator cuff -- supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and teres major -- often suffer tears. Those with shoulder problems should complete exercises that strengthen these muscles. Even when the injuries are caused by a separated shoulder, strengthening the rotator cuff muscles will alleviate shoulder pain.
The V Exercise
The following exercises are commonly referred to as "the letters." The letters are V, T, W, L and I. During these exercises, the body resembles these letters. Each exercise should be performed seated. They can be performed with light weights or bodyweight. Perform each movement for a set of 10.
The first letter is the V. To perform the V exercise, start with the arms straight and hanging down by the hips. Keep the arms straight and raise them in front of the body until they are parallel to the floor. When the arms are raised, they should create a V shape, with the hands slightly outside of body width.
The T Exercise
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the muscles of the rotator cuff perform different functions. Thus, to rehabilitate and train the shoulders, you should perform various movements.
The second exercise of the letters is the T. With the body seated, the arms should hang down the sides of the body so that the hands are outside of the hips. Keep the arms straight and lift them out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor. The thumbs should be up toward the ceiling.
The W Exercise
The third exercise of the letters is the W. To begin, the elbows should be near the waist at the sides of the body. They should be bent at a 90-degree angle. Keep the elbows bent at 90 degrees and lift the arms until they are parallel to the floor. If someone was looking down from directly above you, this movement would resemble a W when the arms are raised.
The L Exercise
The fourth exercise of the letters is the L. To begin, lift the arms out to the side until they are parallel to the floor. Bend the elbows at a 90-degree angle, with the hands above the elbows. If you were looking in the mirror, the arms would look like a normal L and an backwards L facing each other. From this position, rotate the hands forward until the entire arm is parallel to the floor. The elbows should remain bent at a 90-degree angle. Then return to the starting L position to complete one repetition.
The I Exercise
The fifth and final exercise of the letters is the I. To begin, place the hands at the shoulders. Lift the hands straight overhead. Bring the hands together when the arms are completely straight. Bring the hands back down to the shoulders and repeat.
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