Range & Motion Exercises for Fractured Shoulder Recovery

An unlucky fall or a sports injury are common ways to fracture a shoulder. A fracture can take up to a year to heal. The shoulder has to heal. The muscles have to be gently stretched back into use and then their strength rebuilt, which requires standard exercises.

Early Stages

• In the early stages of recovery, you will likely use pain medication to help manage the ache of healing. When your doctor advises it, you'll begin your first exercises with simple pendulum motions. This is accomplished by kneeling with one knee on a chair and bending forward slightly so that your arm dangles from your shoulder. The arm is then gently swung, like a pendulum, for basic, relaxed motion exercise.

Three Week Stage

• After about three weeks, some of the healing should be done. On your doctor's advice, you can begin gentle range-of-motion exercises. You'll begin with assisted exercises, in which your good arm helps the injured one to move. Basic motion exercises include raising your arm over your head and reaching behind your back and behind your neck. You may not be able to fully raise your arm at first. Work slowly to stretch the muscles to obtain a normal range of motion. Over time, you'll be able to make these same movements unassisted.

Strengthening Exercises

• Typically, about six weeks into the healing process, the bone is healed enough that you can begin strengthening exercises. Your mobility should be improving, and will continue to improve throughout the exercises. Your doctor or therapist might start you exercising with a Thera-Band. With a Thera-Band, you'll do the same sort of range-of-motion exercises, but while pulling on a rubber band for resistance.