Patient/caregiver was instructed regarding exercises to help rehab during later phase after shoulder replacement surgery as follows:
- These exercises typically are recommended from weeks 7 – 14 after shoulder replacement surgery. Individuals undergoing shoulder replacement must consult their therapist for recommendation before performing these exercises.
- Sidelying internal rotation: You can lay down in the bed in a sidelying position, slightly turned to your surgical side with the surgical arm laying on the bed. Keep your surgical shoulder fixed and the elbow of the surgical arm bent at 90 degrees. This is the start point of this exercise. From this position, rotate your arm inwards by moving just the forearm and hand towards the ceiling, until the hand is straight up facing the ceiling or until you experience some stiffness, limitation, or discomfort in the surgical limb. Once the hand is straight up facing the ceiling or you experience stiffness or discomfort in the surgical limb, hold the limb in position for a count of 5, and relax by bringing the surgical arm to the start point. Repeat the task for 20 times on each set of arm exercises, for a total of 3 sets a day. You can hold small weight in the surgical hand, as allowed, to have the joint work against resistance. This can help with strengthening the joint further. Check with your physician on the allowance of weight you can lift with the surgical arm. You can progressively increase the weight to the limit of your allowance.
- Stretch band exercises: Have a stretch band fixed to the wall at your height. You can perform this exercise by standing up straight with both the arms on your sides. Initially, face the wall and hold the stretch band with the surgical arm. Maintaining the arm straight, pull the stretch band with the surgical arm. Then, turn your back to the wall and hold the stretch band with the surgical arm. Maintaining the arm straight, pull the stretch band with the surgical arm. Then, turn sideways to the wall and hold the stretch band with the surgical arm. Maintaining the arm straight, pull the stretch band with the surgical arm. The goal of this exercise in all the above mentioned positions is to bring the surgical arm straight to your side or until you experience some stiffness, limitation, or discomfort in the surgical limb. Once the surgical arm is on your side or you experience stiffness or discomfort in the surgical limb, hold the limb in position for a count of 5, and relax by slowly releasing the pull on the stretch band. Repeat the task for 20 times on each set of arm exercises, for a total of 3 sets a day. As you gain more strength in the surgical arm, you can make the exercise harder by standing farther away from the wall. Standing farther from the wall increases the pull and tension in the stretch band, which increases the workload on the surgical arm, thus helping to improve the strength of the arm.
