Shoulder Replacement Therapy

Shoulder Replacement Physical Therapy

Work should begin as soon as numbness has subsided. The purpose is to regain full motion and shorter recovery time.
Shoulder Replacement TherapyBack to all ServicesShoulder Replacement TherapyShoulder Replacement Therapy is required as soon as possible for fast and complete recovery.
Shoulder replacement surgery has been historically very successful, but it requires post-operational physical therapy to restore proper movement of the affected shoulder and arm.

Shoulder Replacement Physical therapy will be conducted by the doctors once or twice daily for the two or three days you remain in the hospital after surgery.

One of our therapists will start working with you on exercises designed to regain full movement, probably as soon as numbness has subsided.

Typically the exercises recommended will include some of the following, which are intended to help strengthen your shoulder and arm, and to promote recovery.

Shoulder replacement therapy exercises

The first exercise aims at elbow range of motion, and simply involves bending your arm at a 90° angle and then straightening it, as though you are brushing something off your shirt.

Under the supervision of our therapists, you will be asked to repeat this exercise two or three times daily in sets of 25 or 30 repetitions.

The second exercise is for grip strengthening, and involves making a tight fist and then releasing your grip after 10 seconds. This exercise can also be done by gripping a rubber ball and squeezing, and should be repeated the same number of times as the first exercise.

Scapular retraction exercises start with you standing straight and pinching your shoulder blades together for 10 seconds, before relaxing and repeating the motion. This helps to strengthen the muscles around your shoulder, and to restore free movement. The supported arm pendulum exercise begins with you bending over at the waist, and supporting yourself by the arm not affected in surgery, as it rests on a table or chair. Using that same arm, you would make small clockwise and counterclockwise circles for 30 repetitions two or three times each day.

External rotation is an exercise that involves bending the arm at a 90° angle on the side of your recovering shoulder, and while keeping the elbow against the body, using the other hand to rotate your forearm outward until your arm points in front of you.

These are a few of the Shoulder replacement therapy exercises our staff performs, there are many more that get applied depending on the patients condition..