Rotator cuff exercises
Shoulder exercises
This exercise stretches the anterior, or front, part of your shoulder. Stand with your hands holding a towel behind your head and neck. Stretch your shoulders as if you were drying your back. With your injured arm on top, pull down with your good arm. With your injured arm on the bottom, pull up with your good arm. Hold the stretch for 15 - 30 seconds. Repeat these steps 2 to 5 times.
This exercise strengthens the muscles that hold your shoulder blade, or scapula. Lie flat on your back on a table. Raise both arms and elbows straight up. Hold this position throughout the exercise. Reach towards the ceiling by lifting your shoulder blades off the table. Relax your shoulder blades back to the table, then repeat around 10 times. All movement should come only from raising or lowering your shoulder blades.
This exercise strengthens or tones the muscles that help rotate your shoulder outward, or away from your body. Attach a piece of surgical tubing or elastic exercise band to something at waist height, such as a doorknob. Stand or sit with your uninjured side towards the wall and your body facing along the wall. Your elbow should be bent at a right angle. Keep your forearm parallel to the ground and your wrist straight. Keep your elbow next to your side as you do this exercise. Holding a rolled up towel between your elbow and side may help. Pull or rotate your arm outward from your body. Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds then slowly rotate your arm back towards the wall. Repeat these steps 5 to 10 times.
This shoulder exercise strengthens or tones the muscles that help rotate your shoulder inward, or towards your body. Attach a piece of surgical tubing or elastic exercise band to something at waist height, such as a doorknob. Stand with your injured side towards the wall and your body facing along the wall. Your elbow should be bent at a right angle, pointing in front of your body along the direction of the wall. Place a rolled up towel between your elbow and your side, and keep your elbow next to your side. Pull the band across your body at waist level. Keep your forearm parallel to the ground and your wrist straight. Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds, then slowly rotate your arm back towards the wall. Repeat these steps 5 to 10 times.
These exercises strengthen and tone muscles in your shoulder. Stand facing a doorjamb or wall. Bend your elbow at a right angle and hold it close to your body. Place a closed fist against the wall and push forward with no more than half of your strength. Hold the pressure for around 5 seconds. Repeat these steps around 10 times.Now stand with your back to a wall. Bend your elbow at a right angle and hold it close to your body. Press your elbow backwards against the wall with no more than half of your strength. Hold the pressure for around 5 seconds. Repeat these steps around 10 times.Finally, stand with your injured side touching a wall. Bend your elbow at a right angle and hold it close to your body. Attempt to move your elbow away from your body, pushing against the wall. Hold the pressure for around 5 seconds. Repeat these steps around 10 times.
This exercise stretches the joint capsule of your shoulder joint to keep it from getting stiff. Hold on to the back of a sturdy chair or table with your good arm. Bend at the hips so that your painful, or injured arm, hands down freely. Keep your back straight. Rocking your weight from your hips, allow the arm to gently sway, or move, in a circle. Start out in small circles and slowly allow the circles to become larger. Sway the arm in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Perform this exercise for around 5 minutes, 4 to 8 times a day. Avoid this exercise if you have back pain. After surgery, it is ok to do this exercise even if you have some shoulder pain.
This exercise strengthens the muscles that hold your shoulder blade, or scapula. Attach a piece of surgical tubing or elastic exercise band to something at waist height, such as a doorknob. Stand facing this spot, your elbow at your side, bent at a right angle. Grasp the loose ends of the elastic band with your palms facing towards each other. Pull backwards, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Slowly allow your arms to return to the first position. Repeat these steps 5 to 10 times.
This exercise strengthens the muscles that hold your shoulder blade, or scapula. Stand or sit with upright, erect posture. Pull or squeeze the shoulder blades together and down towards your buttocks. Pull for 3 to 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat 5 of these exercises many times during the day.
This shoulder exercise stretches the back part of your injured shoulder joint. Place the hand of your injured arm on the opposite shoulder, by reaching across the front of your chest. Using your hand, gently pull the elbow of your injured arm up and across your body, towards the good side. As the hand of your injured arm reaches over the back of your shoulder, you will feel a gentle stretch across the back of your injured shoulder. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat these steps 2 to 5 times.
This exercise stretches the anterior, or front part of your shoulder. Stand with your arms at your sides, palms facing outward. Move the hand from your injured side across your buttocks and up to your waistline, keeping your palm facing outward and thumb facing upward. With the other hand, palm facing outward, grab your injured arm at the wrist, pulling gently upwards. Hold this position for 15 to 25 seconds, then relax. Repeat these steps 2 to 3 times.
This exercise stretches the muscles and joint capsule of your shoulder joint. Stand facing the wall, about 1 to 1 1/2 feet away. Place your palms on the wall at about shoulder height. Your fingers should be pointing up and slightly outward. Slowly lean until your face is at the wall, bending your arms at the elbows. Push slowly back until your elbows are straight again. Repeat these steps about 10 times.
This stretch helps make your injured shoulder joint more flexible. Stand facing a wall. Your fingers should just be able to touch the wall with your arm outstretched. Keep your feet hip width apart and your back straight. Slowly climb the wall with your fingers, moving closer to the wall as your arm rises. Go only as high as pain permits, holding the position for 15 to 20 seconds. Slowly lower your arm, supporting it with your good arm if needed. Repeat these steps 2 to 4 times.Now stand with your side to a wall, 1 to 2 feet away from you. Your fingers should just be able to touch the wall, with your arm angled slightly forward and outstretched. Slowly climb the wall with your fingers, moving closer to the wall as your arm rises. Go only as high as pain permits, holding the position for 15 to 20 seconds. Slowly lower your arm, supporting it with your good arm if needed. Repeat these steps 2 to 4 times.
Your Shoulder Joint
The tendons of the rotator cuff pass underneath a bony area on their way to attaching to the top of the arm bone. These tendons join together to form a cuff that surrounds the shoulder joint. This helps keep the joint stable and allows the arm bone to move on the shoulder bone.
Injury to these tendons may result in:
- Rotator cuff tendinitis, which is irritation and swelling of these tendons
- A rotator cuff tear, which occurs when one of the tendons is torn due to overuse or injury
These injuries often lead to pain, weakness, and stiffness when you use your shoulder. A key part in your recovery is doing exercises to make the muscles and tendons in your joint stronger and more flexible.
Your health care provider may refer you to a physical therapist to treat your rotator cuff. A physical therapist is trained to help improve your ability to do the activities you want.
Evaluating Your Shoulder
Before treating you, a provider or therapist will evaluate your body mechanics. The therapist may:
- Watch how your shoulder moves as you perform activities, including your shoulder joint and your shoulder blade
- Observe your spine and posture as you stand or sit
- Check the range of motion of your shoulder joint and spine
- Test different muscles for weakness or stiffness
- Check to see which movements seem to cause or worsen your pain
After testing and examining you, your provider or physical therapist will know which muscles are weak or too tight. You will then start a program to stretch your muscles and make them stronger.
Exercises for Your Shoulder
The goal is for you to function as well as possible with little or no pain. To do this, your physical therapist will:
- Help you strengthen and stretch the muscles around your shoulder and shoulder blade to improve shoulder movement
- Teach you proper ways to move your shoulder, for everyday tasks or sports activities
- Teach you correct shoulder posture
Before doing exercises at home, ask your provider or physical therapist to make sure you are doing them properly. If you have pain during or after an exercise, you may need to change the way you are doing the exercise or lower the resistance.
Most exercises for your shoulder either stretch or strengthen the muscles and tendons around your shoulder joint. The rotator cuff muscles are small muscles and strengthening should focus on smaller weights and higher repetition.
Exercises to stretch your shoulder include:
- Stretching the back of your shoulder (posterior stretching)
- Hand up your back stretch (anterior shoulder stretch)
- Anterior shoulder stretch - towel
- Pendulum exercise
- Wall stretches
Exercises to strengthen your shoulder:
References
Finnoff JT, Johnson W. Upper limb pain and dysfunction. In: Cifu DX, ed. Braddom's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 35.
Mosich GM, Yamaguchi KT, Petrigliano FA. Rotator cuff and impingement lesions. In: Miller MD, Thompson SR, eds. DeLee, Drez, & Miller's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 47.
Version Info
Last reviewed on: 6/4/2025
Reviewed by: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
