Best Exercises After Shoulder Rotator Cuff Surgery

Best exercises after shoulder rotator cuff surgery

The blog is about best exercises after shoulder rotator cuff surgery. Recovering from rotator cuff surgery is a journey that requires patience, discipline, and a carefully structured rehabilitation plan. Proper exercise is crucial for regaining strength, mobility, and function in your shoulder. This guide will explore the best exercises after shoulder rotator cuff surgery, highlighting when to begin, how to progress, and the dos and don’ts to ensure a safe recovery.

The rotator cuff combines four muscles and tendons that hold the shoulder in place and let it move around. (open reduction internal fixation ORIF) maybe needed if the tear, injury, or degeneration cannot heal by itself.

Goals of Recovery

• Regain Mobility: To regain the normal ROM of the shoulder.
• Build Strength: Improve muscle tone and tendon strength and bulk for shoulder joint structure.
• Prevent Stiffness: Do not experience conditions such as frozen shoulders or limited flexibility.
• Return to Activities: Safely allow the continuation of everyday life and sports.

Phases of Rehabilitation

Phase 1: Passive Range of Motion of the affected area is allowed in this stage, this is from 0 – 6 weeks of treatment. Best exercises post shoulder surgery 0-6 weeks

Goals:

• Protect the repaired tissue.
• Reduce pain and inflammation.
• Prevent joint stiffness.

In this phase, exercises are implied, which are your physical therapist, or your other arm is the one moving the recovering shoulder.

Advantages of Passive Range Of Motion Staffing (Phase I) Exercises

• Protect Healing Tissue: to avoid straining its repair the motion must be done gently but at the same time, the shoulder can still be kept functional.
• Reduce Stiffness: Hinders the voluntary immobilization of the shoulder thus don’t allow the development of a frozen shoulder.
• Improve Circulation: Improves blood circulation to the affected part of the body thus facilitating faster and hassle-free healing besides shooting away inflammation.
• Minimize Pain: Loosening exercises, particularly passive ones, can help decrease pain because they include small movements on the joint.

Recommended Exercises:

1. Pendulum Swings

• How to Perform: Bend forward at the hips with your unaffected arm on a table or any other surface. Lay the injured arm at the side and gently rotate it in the air in circles.
• Benefits: Helps to improve circulation and eliminate joint tightness.
• Repetitions: 2–3 sets of 20 circles.

2 . Assisted Shoulder Flexion

• How to Perform: To exercise the recovering arm while lying on your back, take the healthy arm and lift the recovering arm.
• Benefits: Slow progressive return of lost artifact mobility.
• Repetitions: 10–15, 1–2 times per day.

3.External Rotation using a Stick

• How to Perform: With your uninjured arm gently pull a stick or dowel towards you and grasp it with both of your hands while applying pressure towards your injured arm.
• Benefits: Improves flexibility.
• Repetitions: 10 practices, once or twice a day.

Phase 2: Flexion-Extension (6-12 weeks). Best exercises post shoulder surgery 6-12 weeks

Goals:

• Improve range of motion.
• Start now to actively use shoulder muscles.
• Gradually build strength.

Advantages of AR (P2) Exercises

• Restore Mobility: Permits you the possibility to obtain normal and independent muscular mobility of the shoulder joint without calling for the assistance of another segment of your body.
• Enhance Muscle Activation: Teaches the utilization of shoulder muscles in a safe way which enhances neuromuscular co-ordination.
• Prevent Muscle Atrophy: Helps to bring the shoulder muscles into use to counteract the effects of a set that tends to weaken the muscles during the recovery phase.
• Boost Confidence: They also ease the small gradual progression strengthens muscles and by developing confidence in shoulder and sport where they are allowed to play again without fear of re-injuring the shoulder.

Recommended Exercises:

1.Table Slides

• How to Perform: Sit at a table and place a towel between your body and the side of your painful arm. Pull the towel towards the client for extension of the arm and pull it backward to make the arm flex.
• Benefits: Facilitates shoulder movement with little stress being put on the joint.
• Repetitions: 2–3 sets of 10.

2. Active Shoulder Abduction

• How to Perform: Swing your arm out to the side without traction, but if pain is felt stop the movement.
• Benefits: Strengthens shoulder muscles.
• Repetitions: 10–15 repetitions.

3. Wall Crawls

• How to Perform: Grab a wall, with your palms flat against it and slide your fingers up the wall as high as possible.
• Benefits: Improves the ability of the shoulder to move the joint in all planes.
• Repetitions: 2–3 sets of 10.

Phase 3: Strengthening (12–20 weeks). Best exercises post shoulder surgery 12-20 weeks

Goals:

• Build strength and endurance.
• Ready for the functional activities.
• Restore normal biomechanics.

Effectiveness of the Strengthening (Phase 3) Exercises

• Build Muscle Strength: Restores the strength of the shoulder that is necessary for lifting any form of resistance in activities of daily living.
• Increase Endurance: Conditions muscles and tendons with the ability to cope with successive movement sequences over a given period.
• Improve Stability: Enhances adjacent muscles meaning that one reduces the likelihood of experiencing future shoulder joint problems.
• Support Everyday Functionality: Enables procedural tasks such as lifting a thing, reaching above the head, and dressing easily.

Recommended Exercises:

1. Dumbbell Lateral Raises

• How to Perform: stand with feet shoulder width apart arms to the side of the body, start with 2 kg weights in both the hands and raise it sideways to shoulder level, after a week procced with 3 and in 4 to 5 weeks for 5 kg weight based on the tolerance level.
• Benefits: Improves strength of the shoulder elevator muscles supraspinatus, deltoid etc
• Repetitions: 2-3 sets max based on the level of tolerance.

2. Push-Ups Against a Wall

• How to Perform: Option 3 Stand about 4 feet from a wall and do push-ups going to push-ups from a table then to the floor.
• Benefits: Improves muscles of the shoulder and chest region.
• Repetitions: 2–3 sets of 10.

Phase 4: AS-Return to Activity >20 Weeks. Best exercises post shoulder surgery from 20th weeks.

Goals:

• It also helps to strengthen and build some stamina.
• Return to play or exercise, stay active.
• Preventing future injuries.

Advantages of Strengthening (Phase 4)

Exercising has numerous advantages for the body; hence the following are the advantages of advanced strengthening exercises.

• Restore Full Functionality: Anatomically prepares the shoulder for movements needed in sports, work, hobbies, etc.
• Promote Balanced Strength: Work out other shoulders and upper limb muscles to widen the area of recovery.
• Preventing Compensatory Injuries: It helps to minimize the chances of making other body parts such as the shoulder joint work extra hours to compensate for the spinal joint.
• Support Return to Sports/Work: Allows you to restore the type of activity that existed before the surgery and return to sports or other forceful work.

Recommended Exercises:

• Overhead Shoulder Press

• How to Perform: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or this can be done with a light dumbbell in your right hand or using a resistance band, raise the dumbbell or band from shoulder level to full body height.
• Benefits: Strengthening muscles and replicating movements one makes in their normal day.
• Repetitions: 2–3 sets of 8–10.

Tips for a Safe Recovery

• Follow Your Physiotherapist’s advice: always ensure that you follow your physical therapist’s instructions.
• Listen to Your Body: In case of experiencing discomforting pain, one should avoid movements of that part of the body.
• Warm-Up Before Exercising: Loosening exercises or a warm pack may enhance the muscles for function.
• Gradual Progression: If you are experiencing a problem with your shoulder, begin at a slow pace and continue to build up when your shoulder is okay.
• Rest is Crucial: Avoid working the joint and take time to allow the joint to recover from the strain it underwent.

Exercise to Avoid

• While recovery is important, certain activities should be avoided until cleared by your healthcare provider:
• Lifting something above the head or lifting heavy objects.
• Sudden or jerky movements.
• Any activity or sport which uses the shoulder in repeated movements such as tennis for instance or swimming.

When to Seek Help

Contact your healthcare provider if you experience:

• Persistent or worsening pain.
• Soreness at the region of the shoulder or the chest.
• Loss of function or mobility.

Conclusion

Retaining strength and functional ability after rotator cuff surgery is an arduous task that demands a lot from the patient. If you follow a specific exercise routine based on your recovery phase, you can regain meaningful shoulder strength and flexibility and perform activities. It is advisable to always consult your physiotherapist before modifying such exercises to fit your preferences while going through the recovery process.