Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 09:54:07 EST From: JLL Subject: Shoulder excercises To: Multiple recipients of list C+HEALTH [Editor's comment: I heard once that neck exercises should be undertaken only with EXTREME caution, slowly and gently. If you try the exercises below, please be very, very careful! -Mark, Editor C+HEALTH] ***************************************************************** Okay, I have a few exercises. Some address different problems. I AM NOT A MEDICAL DOCTOR, or anything closely related to that. These are just things I use to help with the occasional problem area. Joy okapi@peak.org These stretches are pretty simple. Sit on a chair or table. Reach your left hand under the edge of the chair or table. This is to anchor your shoulder down. Sit up straight with the face pointed forward. With your shoulder down, tilt the right ear towards your right shoulder, to about a 45 deg angle. You will likely feel some pulling in a muscle that goes straight up the side of your neck. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Relax, returning the head to an upright position. Next, tilt the right ear towards the right shoulder with your chin pointed towards the front of the shoulder. This stretches a muscle behind the first one stretched. Hold as before. Relax. Next, tilt the right ear towards the right shoulder with your chin/head angled up in the air. This stretches the front muscle. Hold and relax. Do this for both sides. These stretches can be done standing or sitting with out using the hand as an anchor, as long as you remember to force your shoulder down to create tension in the muscles. Second set of exercise/stretches. (I'm copying these from a handout I was given.) These require a prop of some sort of elasticized tubing or stretchy material to provide resistance. ************************* Thoracic extensors #1 The first of our corrective exercises for the thoracic extensors makes use of a piece of surgical tubing. It is an excellent exercise for reducing hyperkyphotic curvature. [I have no idea what that is.] 1. Patient seated, holding the looped end of a length of surgical tube (approx., 6 ft in length) 2. From a forward bent position (bent to a point just prior to lumbar flexion [lower back]), and with tension on the tube, the patient uses the spinal erectors [back muscles] to pull himself to an upright position. Arms must be kept straight. **Try to get the patient to visualize an "uncurling" of his spine, one vertebra at a time. This will help the patient to perfect the movement and will make them finish with exercise with the spine in the correct position. Do 5-10 times or until fatigue is felt. Do not do until painful. ************************** Thoracic extensors #2 This second exercise is very helpful in correcting a bilateral forward shoulder condition as well as a hyperlordotic condition [lordosis addresses the upper curve in the back - correct me if I'm wrong - so this likely refers to hunched shoulders and excessive curve in the upper back]. It does not require the use of any exercise equipment. In addition to strengthening the weak tissues in these conditions, it is an excellent method of making the patient aware of what their posture should look and feel like. I ask my parents to perform this exercise to near fatigue several times daily. Patients usually comply with this request since performing the movement relieves their symptoms almost immediately. 1. Patients begins in the standing position with the chin down, arms at the sides, hands in fists, and thumbs pointing inward. 2. Patient simultaneously extends the head and shoulders while rotating the arms laterally. The patient should concentrate on pinching his shoulder blades together while moving from step 1 to step 2. ************************** Thoracic extensors #3 This third exercise strengthens the lower trapezius muscle unilaterally, but should be performed on both sides for patient's suffering from hyperkyphosis. 1. Patient stands in an erect posture with one hand grasping a piece of surgical tubing. 2. Patient abducts his arm to 135 degrees. 3. From this position the patient moves into 60 degrees of horizontal adduction [raises arm]. 4. With tension on the tube, the patient pulls his arm to an upright position. Repeat 5-10 times until fatigue. Do not overexert. For some with weaker muscles, try doing this without resistance first, just lift the arm up. [Definitions: abduction - movement away from the median axis (e.g. stick arm out to side) adduction - movement towards the median axis (e.g. bring arm across front)] Lets see if I can "draw" you a better picture. Stand holding the surgical tubing in one hand with the arm outstretched in front of you, the hand in a neutral position. Raise the arm so that the hand is head height. With tension in the tube, put the arm straight up in the air. The range of motion isn't very much. But it will be felt in the muscles just below the shoulder blades, if I remember correctly. **************************** Another one told to me (how I do it) Put a length of surgical tubing through the hinged space of a door. Grab each end of the tubing so that the "bend" is a little below shoulder height. Put one foot forward to stop the door from swinging. With hands in front of you, about shoulder height, pull on the tubing, bringing the hands back, shoulder height, in line with the shoulders (hand-shoulder-head-shoulder-hand). This is generally felt along each side of the spine between mad below the shoulder blades. Repeat 5-10 times, to fatigue, not pain. ***************************** Another - Stand in a conventional sized door way. Lift arms out to side with forearms sticking up. Shoulders should be about halfway up forearm. Lay forearms along the door jam, as though you are going to stop yourself from going through the door way. Try and "push" yourself through the doorway. Be careful not to arch the lower back. Hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds. Relax on continue on your way. This is felt in the muscles along the collarbone and in muscles along the sternum (depending on how tight your muscles are). This will help some shoulder pains. The idea being that if the muscles in front get so tight then the ones in the back "give up" pulling their end. Relaxing and stretching those front muscles enables the back muscles to return to a more normal position. _____________ | | | 0 | |-----|-----| | | | | / \ | | / \ | [Okay so my drawings leave something to be desired! - I tried. ] *********************** One more - Using a broom stick or a dowel with rounded edges, or some other stick type thing, put one end of the stick in the palm of each hand, arms outstretched to sides, approximately shoulder height. Using the left hand pushing on the stick, push the right arm behind the front plane of your body. Stretch out that shoulder. Reverse and stretch the left arm behind the body. A 3/4 in dowel works great for this, cut to a length comfortable for your reach. ____0____ | | (from front) All of these exercises stretch muscles in the upper body. Some will strengthen them, others just allow the muscles to do what they are supposed to do. DO NOT bounce a stretch, stretch and hold it. DO NOT stretch until pain. Some discomfort is to be expected but it should not hurt. I AM NOT A MEDICAL DOCTOR, or anything closely related. I have had a few (more than my share?) musculoskeletal problems that have led me to visit physical therapists and massage therapists in my time. These exercises come from these sources. Use these exercises/stretches with caution.