Pendulum swing
Lean forward, let the arm hang. Swing it gently in circles using your body, not the shoulder.
- 1 minute
- 4 times a day
Should feel: The shoulder loosening Should not feel: Sharp pain
Home / Patient library / Exercise sheets / Sheet 16
Exercises for the top of the shoulder
Shoulder & elbow · Arthritis at the top of the shoulder (AC joint)
How to use this sheet. Do the exercises slowly, keeping the elbow below shoulder height. Stop before the pain builds — mild discomfort is fine, sharp pain is not. Avoid: reaching across your body, lifting heavy things overhead, bench press and push-ups, carrying heavy loads on this shoulder, and sleeping on the painful side. Ice wrapped in a cloth can ease the pain.
A4 PDF, 0.4 MB. Free to download — no sign-up, no email address needed.
Table slide
Sit at a table, slide the hand forward, letting the body follow.
- 10 times
- 3 times a day
Should feel: A stretch at the end of the range Should not feel: Pinching at the top
Stick-assisted external rotation
Hold a stick in both hands in front of you, elbows bent at a right angle. Keep the elbow of the affected arm against your side. Use the good arm to push the stick across, so the hand of the affected arm turns outwards. Hold, then return.
- 10 times
- 3 times a day
Should feel: A stretch at the front of the shoulder Should not feel: Sharp pain
Shoulder blade squeeze
Squeeze the shoulder blades together and down.
- 10 times
- 3 times a day
Should feel: Between the shoulder blades Should not feel: The shoulders lifting
Isometric external rotation
Stand beside a wall, elbow bent and tucked in, press the back of the hand into the wall without moving.
- Hold 10 seconds
- 10 times
Should feel: The muscle working Should not feel: Sharp pain
Band row
Pull a band back, squeezing the shoulder blades together.
- 12 times
- Once a day
Should feel: The shoulder blade muscles working Should not feel: Shrugging
Stop and telephone us if
- The top of the shoulder becomes hot, red and swollen, or you have a fever — come the same day
- Pain at night that wakes you, or weight loss you cannot explain — especially if you have had cancer before
- The pain is getting worse, not better, after two weeks
- You get new numbness, tingling or weakness
Ready when you are.
Call either clinic during consulting hours, or send a WhatsApp message any time.