Advanced Rehabilitation

Further rehabilitation may be beneficial to achieve the stability required for your activity demands on your shoulder.

Advanced Exercises – Early Stage  (0-6 weeks)

You should now be able to comfortably perform the early stage rehabilitation exercises.

The advanced exercises aim to support a return to higher level function and provide a comprehensive exercise programme which may be beneficial to integrate into your lifestyle for long term independent management.

  • A gradual return to resisted weight training within safe parameters  and without creating significant stretch on the shoulder for the first 6 weeks, can commence.
  • Consider the effects of warm up and fatigue
  • Gradually work towards positions of risk in a safe controlled manner
  • Gradually increase the repetitions, sets, load and speed at which each of the exercises is performed
  • Instability symptoms
  • Confidence in performing day to day activities 
  • Outcomes scores (links in additional resources) to assess risk of recurrence in dislocation: SPADI, TSK-11, PRIS.

Front plank progressions

  • In a kneeling position, place your hands at a comfortable width apart, bring your shoulders directly above your wrists and walk your knees back so your torso forms a straight line from your knees to your head.
  • Engage your core and hold whilst breathing steadily.
  • Progress this by walking your feet back to balance on your toes.
  • Another variation is to extend the elbows from the kneeling position.
  • A full plank is achieved by weightbearing through extended arms and on the toes.
Start on knees and elbows.
Then on knees and extended arms.
Then on your elbows on feet.
Finally to a full plank position on your hands and toes.

4-point kneeling mountain climber

Start in a high-plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body forming a straight line. Engage your core and alternate driving one knee at a time toward your chest as if running on the spot. 

Keep your back flat and avoid letting your hips rise too high.

Start in a high-plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body forming a straight line.
Engage your core and alternate driving one knee at a time toward your chest as if running on the spot. Keep your back flat and avoid letting your hips rise too high.

Side plank progressions

Start on your elbow and knee, lifting your hip off the ground with engagement of your core.

Gradually progress incrementally to the following positions as you build strength, control and confidence:

  • On your elbow and outside of your foot
  • On your hand and outside of your foot
  • On your hand and lateral foot with abduction of the contralateral arm and leg
Start on your elbow and knee, lifting your hip off the ground.
On your hand and outside of your foot.
On your hand and lateral foot with abduction of the contralateral arm and leg.
On your hand and lateral foot with abduction of the contralateral arm and leg.

Low row with a weight

Start in a half kneeling position, with the leg on the ground the same side as your affected arm.

Maintaining a neutral spine position, extend the affected arm holding a small weight.

Pull the weight to the level of your hip, squeezing your shoulder blade towards the other your body, starting with your arm extended and ending with your elbow tucked in. Control the handle and cable as it returns to the starting position.

Start in a half kneeling position, with the leg on the ground the same side as your affected arm. Maintaining a neutral spine position, extend the affected arm holding a small weight.
Pull the weight to the level of your hip, squeezing your shoulder blade towards the other your body, starting with your arm extended and ending with your elbow tucked in. Control the handle and cable as it returns to the starting position.

Drop and catch

  • Standing with your feet hip width apart, drop and catch ball/ light weight with the arm straight out, slightly in front.
  • Lying on your front, drop and catch ball.  This can be progressed to a light weight.
Standing with your feet hip width apart, drop and catch ball/ light weight with the arm straight out, slightly in front.
Lying on your front, drop and catch ball.  This can be progressed to a light weight.
Standing with your feet hip width apart, drop and catch ball/ light weight with the arm straight out, slightly in front.
Lying on your front, drop and catch ball.  This can be progressed to a light weight.

Subscapularis Strengthening

Laying on your front, place your affected arm behind your back so that the back of your hand is resting on the small of your back with your palm facing the ceiling. 

Lift the hand up towards the ceiling, hold for a few seconds and slowly lower.

Standing slightly facing away from a wall, with your feet approximately 6 inches from the bottom of the wall, lean onto the wall.

With your hand behind your back, so that the back of your hand is resting on the small of your back with your palm on the wall, push yourself into an upright standing position whilst maintaining a plank position.

Laying on your front, place your affected arm behind your back so that the back of your hand is resting on the small of your back with your palm facing the ceiling. 
Standing slightly facing away from a wall, with your feet approximately 6 inches from the bottom of the wall, lean onto the wall.
With your hand behind your back, so that the back of your hand is resting on the small of your back with your palm on the wall, push yourself into an upright standing position whilst maintaining a plank position.

Exercise Ball Walk Out

  • Kneel on the floor with the exercise ball in front of you.
  • Slowly roll onto the ball so the hip rolls under your abdomen.
  • Walk your hands forwards, maintaining equal steps with your hands, whilst maintaining a plank position.
  • Gradually increase the distance, until you can roll the ball to your feet.
Kneel on the floor with the exercise ball in front of you
Slowly roll onto the ball so the hip rolls under your abdomen.
Walk your hands forwards, maintaining equal steps with your hands, whilst maintaining a plank position.
Gradually increase the distance, until you can roll the ball to your feet.

You have completed the Advanced Rehabilitation stage

Keep it up! If you feel you occupation is physically demanding, particularly if it involves overhead activity, or if you are involved in contact sport or sport which involves overhead activity such as throwing and racket sports, further rehabilitation with the Advanced Higher – Level exercises may be beneficial to achieve the stability required to manage the demands on your shoulder.

Advanced Higher Level Exercises



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