Exercises for Recovery from a Shoulder Separation

A separated shoulder is a fairly common shoulder injury that occurs when the ligaments that connect the collarbone to the shoulder blade are strained, creating separation between the two in more severe cases. Like other strains, initial recovery from a shoulder separation should consist of rest and anti-inflammatory measures, but as the joint heals, rehabilitation exercises can help strengthen the shoulder and prevent future injury.

  1. Rotator Cuff Exercises

    • The rotator cuff is a small group of muscles and tendons in the shoulder that plays a key role in stabilizing the joint and preventing injury. One way to work out the rotator cuff is the side rotator lift. To do this lift, lie on your side and allow your forearm to droop past your bellybutton, but keep your elbow at your side. Rotate your forearm up until it is parallel with the floor, slowly lower it back to your belly and repeat until fatigued. A similar exercise can be achieved using a resistance band while standing. Secure the band to a fixed object at around belly level like a doorknob and rotate the forearm from the belly until the fist is pointing straight ahead against the resistance of the band. The rotator cuffs are small and relatively weak muscles, so very little resistance is needed to work them out. Your goal should be to do many reps to tire the rotator cuffs rather than using a lot of weight. For the side rotator lift, start without any weight and begin holding weights once you can do more than fifty reps before muscle failure.

    Dumbbell Exercises

    • There are several shoulder exercises that can be performed quickly with a pair of dumbbells to help stabilize the shoulder muscles. To begin, stand with a pair of dumbbells at your sides, then move the dumbbells out to your sides until your arms are pointed straight up, then lower them back down. Keep your arms straight through this motion. Next, alternate moving the arms straight out in front of you until they are parallel with the floor, then move them back as far as your flexibility will allow. These three exercises can be performed as a couple quick rotations, working the muscles to fatigue during each exercise. It is important to keep your focus on lifting with good form and keeping the weight under control rather than trying to move quickly; moving fast will not necessarily fatigue your muscles any faster, and it will increase the chances of strain.

    Considerations

    • Rehabbing from a shoulder injury can be a laborious process and any rehab exercises should be started slowly and cautiously with a minimal amount of weight. No rehab activity should cause pain---if you experience pain, stop exercise immediately. Exercises where you lift heavy weights with the large muscles of the shoulders and chest such as the military press or bench press should be avoided for the first several weeks; you should build back up to your previous level of strength gradually.