Top 5 Go-To Exercises: Shoulder Pain
Gonna quickly highlight 5 exercises that I’ll generally end up prescribing for all of my shoulder patients at one point or another. None of them are especially difficult & they’re all geared toward strengthening muscles we often neglect!
Shoulder pathologies can be pretty complicated & they’re usually a mixed bag; but, the treatments typically end up being pretty similar! Speaking very generally, the exercises that get prescribed are meant to strengthen the scapular stabilizers & the short rotator cuff muscles; so, this list will highlight my 5 go-to exercises that do just that!
ITY’s (with resistance tubing)
I’s (Shoulder Extension)
Engages the Lats, Posterior Deltoid, & Teres Major.
Serving to increase scapular stability and stretch the anterior soft tissue structures & joint capsule, while also opening up your t-spine!
Instructions: Take both ends of the resistance tubing & with your arms by your side, pull the tubing down and back as far as comfortable
T’s (Horizontal Abduction of the Shoulder)
Engages Middles Traps, Rhomboids, & Posterior Deltoid.
Serving to increase scapular stability and stretch the anterior soft tissue structures & joint capsule, while also opening up your t-spine!
Instructions: Take both ends of the resistance tubing & with your arms held up at a 90-degree angle, pull the tubing straight back as far as comfortable
Y’s (Shoulder Scaption/Flexion)
Engages Lower Traps, Anterior Deltoid, Supraspinatus, Serratus Anterior & Posterior Deltoid.
Similar to the last two, serving to increase scapular stability while opening up your t-spine!
Instructions: Take both ends of the resistance tubing & with your arms held out at approximately a 45-degree angle, pull the tubing straight up & back as far as comfortable
2. Side-lying Shoulder External Rotation
Strengthens your Infraspinatus & Teres Minor. Also engages the Deltoid.
Serves to relieve shoulder impingement & to normalize the relationship between the Deltoid-Rotator Cuff force couple.
Can be completed with any form of resistance.
Instructions: While lying on your side, with elbow tucked, rotate your arm up towards the ceiling & as far back as comfortable.
3. Cable Machine Shoulder Internal Rotation
Also serves to relieve shoulder impingement & to normalize the relationship between the Deltoid-Rotator Cuff force couple by strengthening the internal rotators.
The theoretical focus of this exercise is the subscapularis, though you do get assistance from much larger muscles during this exercises as well.
Instructions: While standing upright, with elbow tucked, rotate your arm in towards your body & slowly allow it to return back out.
4. External Rotation Resistance Band Pull Aparts
Similar to side-lying ER, strengthens Infraspinatus & Teres Minor.
Serving to relieve shoulder impingement & to normalize the relationship between the Deltoid-Rotator Cuff force couple.
Instructions: While upright, holding the band with a palm-up grip, with elbows tucked, rotate your both arms out, away from your body. Slowly return to the starting position.
5. Scapular Retractions
Strengthens the Rhomboids & Middle Trapezius.
Serving to maximize scapular stability.
Instructions: Simply squeeze your shoulder blades together & hold for 2-3 seconds!
