The shoulder has four muscles that surround the shoulder joint and are called the rotator cuff. The shoulder joint is the most movable joint in the body, and these four muscles are what lift, rotate, circle and move the arm side to side. If one of these muscles tears, the shoulder can be repaired surgically. Recovery from rotator cuff surgery can take a long time, sometimes up to a year, but with rehabilitation exercises you can strengthen the muscles in your shoulder again.
Instructions
Exercises
1. Follow your doctor's instructions for taking care of your shoulder after surgery. Start strengthening exercises only when he tells you it is OK. Keep your arm completely still for three to four weeks after surgery, or as your doctor advises. Your arm will be in a sling and might be strapped to your body to keep it completely immovable. You might be going to a physical therapist who will exercise your shoulder for you.
2. After about one month, your doctor might give you the OK to start mild strengthening and stretching exercises. Start easy, with simple hand-gripping exercises. In the shower with warm water running gently on your shoulder, hold a soft sponge in your hand and squeeze the water out. Do about 20 to 40 of these squeezing exercises a day. If this gets too easy, use a rubber ball that is made for hand squeezing. You also can do this exercise when you are out of the shower. After you have done your gripping exercises, do some wrist circles, rotating your wrist in each direction for up to a minute.
3. After a couple days of doing your wrist exercises, you can work your way up to your elbow. Rotate your arm at your elbow joint. Do some bicep curls with no weights.
4. After a couple of days of doing the wrist and elbow exercises, work your way up to your shoulder. Holding onto a chair for support, lean forward so that your torso is parallel to the floor. Let your affected arm hang, and completely relax your shoulder. Gently start moving your arm side-to-side. Go very slowly. After you have moved your arm side-to-side, try moving it forward and back. This exercise can be done later with weights in your hand.
5. When you feel stronger, start doing arm circles. Using a chair for support, lean forward so that your torso is parallel to the floor, let your arm hang and completely relax your shoulder. Slowly circle your arm, starting small and then letting the circles get larger. Switch directions with your circle. Later hold a small weight in your hand as you do your circles.
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