Rotor Cuff Exercises

Rotator cuff injuries are caused from overuse or from repetitive movement of the shoulder. This nagging injury can be very painful and can restrict you from performing your daily activities. The Codman and Hughston exercise programs are specifically designed to rehab and strengthen the shoulder muscles after a rotator cuff injury or after having surgery.

Hughston Shoulder Exercises

• The Hughston shoulder exercises were designed by orthopedist Dr. Jack C. Hughston to rehabilitate and strengthen the shoulder. There are six basic exercises that are all done while lying face down on the floor or a table.

  With the first two exercises you position your arms straight out from your body, lift your arms straight up while squeezing the shoulder blades. Do this 10 times with your thumbs pointing towards your head and then 10 times with thumbs pointing upwards.

  With the next two exercises, start with your elbows slightly bent and raise the arms as high as possible. Do this 10 times with thumbs pointing towards your head, then repeat 10 times with thumbs pointing upwards.

  The next exercise requires your arms to be straight by your side, palms facing down and thumbs pointing away from your body. Lift the arms as high as you can 10 times.

  For the last shoulder exercise, place arm by your side, elbows slightly bent and then rotate your arm as if to pitch a baseball. Repeat 10 times.

Codman Shoulder Exercises

• Codman exercises can be done lying face down on a bed or table, or standing up, bent over and supporting yourself with your good arm using a chair or table. These exercises involve circular or pendulum movement of the arm to help with pain or swelling from a rotator cuff injury and to keep the shoulder flexible.

  For the pendulum exercise, start with the weak arm dangling off the bed or table and swing the arm like a pendulum in small degrees in each direction and increase the degree of swing over time.

  To do the circular exercise, stand, and while bent at the waist, allow your arm to hang freely. Use your body to start the arm swinging in a circle. Start with small circles in one direction, then reverse the direction.

Considerations

• All these exercises should be done three times per day. Start off slowly with no weights and as the shoulder becomes stronger, add light hand weights and more repetitions. Always follow up your exercising by icing the shoulder to help with any swelling.