Although shoulder impingement syndrome has a self-limiting nature, the disease course is usually long, lasting 2-3 years; and after natural recovery, joint dysfunction is often left behind. Starting physical therapy early can shorten the disease course, prevent muscle atrophy, and preserve joint function.

Today I'm going to introduce shoulder joint rehabilitation, not fitness guidance. Professional fitness experts can bypass it.

1Push-ups

Purpose: Strengthen the chest muscles, including the shoulder sleeve muscles.

Wall push-ups: 60cm away from the wall, stand with the wall facing, hands against the wall, maintain a straight body, perform a push-up action.

Note: When both arms are extended, do a move of withdrawing both shoulders. And the action should be slower.

2Dumbbell raises

Purpose: Exercise the strength of the deltoid muscles.

Divided into: lateral raises, front raises, and rear raises.

Lateral raises: Stand upright, hands grip the dumbbell, keep the upper limbs extended, naturally outward expand on both sides to the horizontal level, then slowly lower.

Target muscle: Deltoid middle head.

Note: The action must be slow, especially when lowering, and the dumbbell must stay at the highest and lowest points for a moment to avoid inertia.

Front raises: Stand upright, hands grip the dumbbell, keep the upper limbs extended, lift the dumbbell along the sagittal plane to the shoulder joint level, both arms simultaneously or alternately.

Target muscle: Deltoid anterior head.

Note: The action must be slow, especially when lowering, and the dumbbell must stay at the highest and lowest points for a moment, and the body should not sway back and forth.

Rear raises: As shown in the figure. The elbow joint can be bent or extended.

Target muscle: Same as above.

Note: Same as above.

3Bird-dog exercise

The bird-dog exercise targets training of the shoulder and back muscles, with variations such as downward-facing bird-dog, supine bird-dog, and various inclines and declines.

Downward-facing bird-dog: Hip flexion 90°, maintain a straight back, tighten the core muscles. Two hands grip dumbbells, naturally lower, then expand to the side until horizontal.

Target muscle: Deltoid posterior head, latissimus dorsi, trapezoid muscle.

Note: Same as above.

Supine bird-dog: Lie flat, hands grip dumbbells at 90° outward extension, then internal rotation of the shoulder joint to place the dumbbell above the body.

Target muscle: Pectoralis major, deltoid, deltoid anterior head.

Special reminder:

The requirements for shoulder joint rehabilitation are also slow and continuous.

Dumbbell weight setting: Start with low weight, optimal weight: the weight that can be done with maximum force of 15-20 times.

Exercise intensity: No more than 3 actions per time, alternate, that is, do one action every other day, do not repeat every day.

Exercise burden: 3-5 sets each time, 8-12 repetitions per set, or to failure. Decide according to your own physical condition.

Consult the previous posts of the WeChat public account for pre-exercise warm-up and post-exercise cold compress: Shoulder impingement syndrome – self-movement rehabilitation therapy for shoulder joint stretching.

Dr. Liu Ming, Orthopedics

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