Best Shoulder Dislocation Exercises for Recovery

1. Shoulder Pendulums

This is the most basic exercise you can do with your shoulder once you are cleared to have your shoulder out of the sling. It is designed to simply get your shoulder used to moving without pain while promoting relaxation and reducing stiffness.

• Take your shoulder sling off
• Let your arm dangle in a relaxed position by your side
• Stand near a chair or counter
• Stand in a small staggered lunge position as you lean forward with your trunk to approximately 45 degrees or more
• Keep your arm relaxed and passively dangled as you start to sway and shift your weight forwards and backwards 
• As you move back and forth, your arm should passively follow the motion of your entire body back and forth
• The key is to keep the shoulder relaxed so that the movement is completely passive and led by your trunk movement
• You can change the positioning of your legs to a wider stance to also shift side to side, or even in a circle
• Repeat for 1-2 minutes with each direction that you can tolerate

2. Shoulder Pulley

Purchasing a cost efficient shoulder pulley is a great rehab tool for any type of shoulder injury. It’s one of the first ways you can safely move your shoulder with minimal pain. You simply use your opposite hand to passively move the bad shoulder. With time, you can gradually progress to a more active range.

• Shut the top of your pulley into a door
• Depending on your height and the door frame- you can stand or place a chair directly underneath the pulley with the back of the chair touching the door 
• Grab one handle with each hand- pointing the palms either down toward the floor or at each other (whichever is more comfortable)
• Keep good posture with your neck relaxed
• Use your good hand to guide the injured shoulder up above your head
• Start with a goal of shoulder height and gradually progress to full range of motion while staying relaxed and relatively pain free 
• Hold for 5-10 seconds at end range before returning to the starting position 
• Repeat 10 times for 2-3 sets

3. Isometric Shoulder Abduction

Isometric exercise is defined as exercise that works a specific muscle group without any actual movement. This is a perfect starting point for a recovering dislocated shoulder, since you can keep local muscles active while still in a sling and allowing appropriate rest time. That way the transition to more active motion will be easier when you’re ready.

• Stand near a wall with the side of your injured arm facing it and touching the wall
• Place a small pillow or folded towel between your elbow and the wall for cushioning
• Push your elbow into the wall as if you’re going to lift your arm straight up to the side
• Press as hard as you can without pain or tension in the neck and hold for 5 seconds
• Repeat 10 times for 2-3 sets
• Additionally, you can turn and face the wall while placing your fist on the wall and push straight forward to strengthen flexion as well
• With time, progress to more active motion with the shoulder

4. Isometric Shoulder Rotation

When the shoulder feels weak and active or full shoulder range of motion is not allowed, once again isometric exercises for rotation are a great starting option. Over time, you can increase your pressure and eventually start using resistance bands when you are cleared to do more with your arm actively. These basic exercises target some of the key rotator cuff muscles.

• Stand or sit in a comfortable position
• Keep your injured arm tucked at your side with your elbow bent to 90 degrees
• If needed, you can tuck a small pillow or towel in between your side and elbow for comfort
• Take your opposite hand and place the palm on the outside of your injured hand to create resistance for external rotation
• With your opposite hand in place, pull on the injured hand as if you are going to pull it across the body toward your belly button (without actually moving the shoulder)
• Hold at a comfortable amount of pressure while keeping the neck relaxed for up to 5 seconds
• Repeat 10 times for 2-3 sets
• Additionally, you can switch directions to address internal rotation as well

Make sure to talk to your sports medicine doctor about any restrictions on muscle use if you've had surgery first. For example, surgery following anterior shoulder dislocation (the most common type) often involves eternal rotation restrictions for the first 4 to 6 weeks.

5. Shoulder Flexion on Hands and Knees

Once you are cleared to increase your shoulder range of motion, there are several different ways outside of using a pulley that you can utilize to stretch the shoulder. This exercise is designed to increase shoulder flexion without having to fully activate the muscles in the arms that could cause pain.

• Get on your hands and knees with the hands directly under the shoulders
• Keeps your palms resting in place on the floor as you shift your butt back toward your heels
• This move inadvertently puts the shoulders into a flexed position- move as far as is comfortable and hold for 10+ seconds
• Repeat for up to 10 repetitions for 2-3 sets
• Progress your range of motion as tolerated by bringing your chest closer to the ground 
• If you are having trouble tolerating this position, you can also try lying on your back with a wand

6. Shoulder Blade Squeezes

You can start this exercise without resistance and then gradually progress to use of a band. The strength and coordination of the scapula, or shoulder blade, muscles play an important role in shoulder balance and function. This is a great one to get started with and build from there.

• Stand or sit in good posture- with the shoulders back and head aligned over top of the shoulders rather than slouching forward
• Squeeze the shoulder blades together as if you were going to hold a quarter in the center of your mid-back
• Keep the neck relaxed and shoulders down
• Hold for 5 seconds
• Repeat 10-15 times for 2-3 sets
• To progress, wrap a band around a sturdy surface and hold each end with your hands at your sides

These are all great exercises for getting started in the first few weeks of recovery. Eventually, you will want to progress to more functional movements. This should include full active shoulder range of motion, weighted or resistance based moves (rows, biceps curls, tricep curls, side raises, etc.), and scapular exercises (prone supermans, planks, etc.).