Range of motion of the shoulder is the amount of movement ability that you have in the shoulder area. The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint, which allows for a great deal of movement. Restriction of motion can be caused by injury to the soft tissue that surrounds the joint. Exercise can increase the range, eventually permitting normal function in your daily activities. Holding each of the following stretches for 10 seconds and gradually increasing the number of sets will help you obtain good results. If you have a normal range of motion, you may not feel much or any stretch with some of the following exercises.
Rotational Stretch
Stand in an upright position holding a towel by each end, with your arms down at your sides and slightly in front of you. Your palms should be facing your body. While you maintain your grip on the towel, rotate your left arm behind you and to the inside. Your right arm will move across the front of the body, with your fist mid trunk. Raise your bent right arm overhead, and gently straighten pulling the towel and stretching the left hand up toward the right shoulder blade. Hold this stretch for 10 seconds. Repeat with the opposite arm.
Forward Wall Stretch
Stand facing forward a few inches from the wall. Slide your hand up the wall, reaching as high as you can with your left arm, palm against the wall. As your hand moves up the wall, step closer so that you finish with your arm straight overhead, and your body against the wall. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat with the opposite arm. This stretch helps to increase full flexion if you are unable to comfortably reach overhead. It is common be unaware of the limitation of reaching overhead until the range of motion is quite restricted, due to other body adjustments, such as leaning the whole trunk to the side for a higher reach.
Side Wall Stretch
Stand with your right side next to the wall. Raise your right hand as high as you can, with your right palm facing inward. The left arm position is at your side unless you need to assist the right arm into the raised position. With your right arm as high as you can reach, step against the wall, using the wall leverage to stretch the outside of the shoulder. Hold your entire body and arm against the wall for 10 seconds. Repeat with the opposite arm. This stretch helps to increase and maintain full abduction of the shoulder and stretches the lateral, or outside musculature.
Extension Stretch
While standing, clasp your hands behind you. Straighten your elbows and lift your straight arms behind you into extension and stretch gently upward. Hold this for 10 seconds. Shoulder extension exercise allows the shoulder musculature to be properly warmed up prior to activity to help avoid injury, as well as increasing any loss of motion that you may have in this range.
Standing Stretch
While standing, raise your right hand over your head, bend your elbow and drop your hand behind your head toward your left shoulder, as if you are trying to scratch your upper back. Reach across the body overhead with the left hand and grasp the back of your bent right elbow, gently pulling the arm back and closer to the ear. If this is done properly, your right hand will be stretching toward your left shoulder blade. Hold this for 10 seconds. Switch and repeat with the opposite arm. This is an excellent warm-up stretch for the shoulder to help increase range of motion and decrease the risk of shoulder injury.
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