Patient/caregiver was instructed regarding exercises to help rehab during later phase after shoulder replacement surgery as follows:

  1. 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.
  2. Stretch band exercises: Have a stretch band fixed to the wall at your waist height. To start with, stand straight up with the surgical arm bent at 90 degrees near the elbow and with the wall on the side of surgical arm. Hold the stretch band with the surgical arm and pull the stretch band with the surgical arm. The goal is to bring the forearm across the trunk. Once the surgical arm is on across your trunk 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.
  3. Stretch band exercises: Have a stretch band fixed to the wall at your waist height. To start with, stand straight up with the surgical arm bent at 90 degrees near the elbow and with the wall on the side of nonsurgical arm. Hold the stretch band with the surgical arm and pull the stretch band with the surgical arm. The goal is to pull the stretch band across the trunk of your body. Once the stretch band is pulled across your trunk or you experience stiffness or discomfort in the surgical limb while performing the task, 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.