Physical Therapy Exercises for Shoulder Surgery

After having shoulder surgery, it is important to begin building the muscles and tendons in the muscle to ensure that your shoulder will return to functioning as well as it did before your injury. There are various shoulder exercises that can be performed to complete this task, whether you are seeing a physical therapist or have received instructions from your doctor to exercise at home. These exercises fall into three general categories.

Range of Motion Exercises

• Range of motion exercises basically deal with how the joint functions in its normal paths of movement. These exercises are done to help the joint move without the pain or stiffness that comes after surgery. When beginning these exercises, your physical therapist may move your shoulder for you (also called passive therapy), your physical therapist may assist you in moving your shoulder or you may be instructed to move your shoulder yourself.

Electrical Stimulation

• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, is a type of physical therapy that uses electrical stimulation to treat pain. A device that emits electrodes is attached to the shoulder and can be used at home as well as at the physical therapist's office.

Cyrotherapy and Other Therapies

• Cyrotherapy, or cold therapy, is when something cold, such as ice, is applied to a stretched or torn muscle to alleviate the pain associated with the injury. Other forms of therapy include iontophoresis, or the injection of medicine through the skin via electric charge, and phonophoresis, or the administration of medicine through ultrasound.