13 Helpful Exercises To Avoid Shoulder Replacement

Do you have chronic shoulder pain? Are you looking for ways to avoid shoulder surgery? Perform these exercises to avoid shoulder replacement and return to the activities that you love.

Shoulder replacement surgery is a common procedure used to treat severe shoulder pain and dysfunction. Many people who end up undergoing shoulder replacement surgery had previous shoulder injuries that they did not rehab properly. They may have ignored these injuries until it was too late.

Unfortunately, shoulder replacement surgery is not always effective. Approximately 90% of shoulder replacement surgeries are effective in the United States, however a small percentage of people will deal with infection, loosening of the prosthesis, ongoing weakness and pain, and in some cases require additional revision surgery. As you can imagine this is very frustrating if you just underwent a major surgery like a shoulder replacement surgery.

Can Shoulder Replacement Be Avoided?

The good news is the answer is yes! Lucky for you, there is most likely still time for you to turn your shoulder symptoms around. There are ways to avoid shoulder replacement surgery.

It is important to seek medical advice from a healthcare provider. Typically this person may be your orthopedic surgeon. It is ok to see an orthopaedic surgeon to discuss your options. Your orthopedic surgeon will be able to discuss the possible surgical procedures with you. Your orthopedic surgeon may recommend a rotator cuff repair instead of an entire shoulder replacement surgery.

You can also see shoulder pain specialists to see options on how to better manage your pain. The important thing is to get all of your options first. Be sure to ask your surgeon about conservative options that don’t involve surgery such as physical therapy.

The most effective way to strengthen and stabilize the shoulder joint and prevent further damage is through specific exercises to avoid shoulder replacement. In this blog post, you will learn about the 13 best shoulder exercises to avoid shoulder replacement surgery.

Anatomy of Shoulder Joint

Bones

Acromion (pointy part of the shoulder blade)
Clavicle (collabone)
Humerus (upper arm bone)
Glenoid (part of shoulder blade that asks as the socket for the arm)

13 Helpful Exercises To Avoid Shoulder Replacement - Katie E Good (1)

Rotator Cuff Tendons

There are 4 rotator cuff tendons that work to attach muscle to bone. The rotator cuff tendons help to stabilize the shoulder joint.

Rotator Cuff Muscles

Rotator cuff muscles are shoulder muscles that help to move the bones. They also work to stabilize the shoulder joint.
There 4 rotator cuff muscles are:
- Supraspinatus
- Infraspinatus
- Subscapularis
- Teres Minor

Joints

The shoulder consists of 2 joints:
- Glenohumeral joint (Ball and socket joint and the shoulder joint we will be referring to)
  - Ball and socket joint
  - The humeral head fits into the glenoid fossa of the scapula or shoulder blade
- Acromioclavicular joint
- Sternoclavicular Joint
- Scapulothoracic Joint

Actions

External rotation
Internal rotation
Flexion
Extension
Abduction
Adduction
Horizontal abduction
Horizontal adduction

Symptoms of Candidates For Shoulder Replacement Surgery

There are many factors that determine if you are a a good candidate for shoulder replacement surgery. Many of these symptoms are subjective so take the time to think about which option is best for you before making your final decision on surgery.

Patients with arthritis
- Arthritis can be shown on an x-ray, however it is not always indicative of the severity of your symptoms. For example it may show severe arthritis in someone who is asymptomatic, while it may show mild arthritis in someone with severe pain. It is important to pay attention to the symptoms rather than just what the imaging report showed.
Patients who have failed conservative treatment such as physical therapy and activity modification
- It is important to note that going to physical therapy once and not performing any exercises on your own does not count as trying conservative treatment. If you do try physical therapy, do it consistently for at least a month or 2.
Loss of shoulder strength
Loss of shoulder mobility or range of motion
- This may make it difficult to reach overhead into your kitchen cabinets, reach behind your back to put on a bra or put on a jacket. These symptoms can improve with physical therapy, however if you have tried physical therapy and it has not improved, surgery may be your best option.
Moderate to severe pain at rest
Difficulty sleeping due to severe pain

Causes of Shoulder Pain

The need for a shoulder replacement surgery can be due to a variety of causes, however the most common reasons for a shoulder replacement are:
- Shoulder Injuries
  - Any type of shoulder injury such as a rotator cuff tear can lead to shoulder dysfunction and pain Rotator cuff tears are typically caused by excessive wear and tear due to age, or performing a repetitive movement, specifically an overhead movement. This is common in weight lifters who lift heavy objects overhead.
    - A rotator cuff tear can also occur from trauma, such as falling with your arm in a vulnerable position. As people age, they are more likely to develop small rotator cuff tears.
- Osteoarthritis
  - With age, the cartilage that surrounds the shoulder joint can get damaged and cause pain within the joint.
- Osteonecrosis
  - Osteonecrosis can diminish the blood flow to the bone. In severe cases, this will cause the bone tissue to break down and eventually collapse.
- Fractures
  - Humerus or scapula fractures make require surgery depending on the severity of the fracture or where on the bone the fracture occurred.
- Bursitis
  - Bursitis occurs when the bursa, a small fluid-filled sac that cushions the joint, becomes inflamed.
- Inflammatory Disorders
  - Rheumatoid Arthritis: Inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis are caused by an overactive immune system which causes inflammation. This can cause damage to the cartilage in the joint and in some severe cases, even damage the bone itself.

Physical Therapy Exercises

The following exercises are grouped into three categories:

Early Rehab Shoulder Exercises (Exercises 1-4)
- Physical therapy exercises which should be done early in the rehab process when symptoms are more severe
Range of Motion Exercises (Exercises 5-8)
- Mobility exercises designed to improve the shoulder’s range of motion and flexibility
Advanced Shoulder Exercises (Exercises 9-13)
- Designed to be performed towards the end of the rehab process when symptoms are mild.

External Rotation
- Attach a resistance band to a sturdy object at waist height. Stand next to the band and hold the the band with your hand furthest from the band.
- Bend your elbow to 90 degrees while keeping your arm at your side.
- Now rotate your arm outward against the resistance of the band. Return to the starting position slowly.
- Do not just let the resistance band snap your arm back to the starting position. You need to perform this exercise in a controlled manner
- This exercise improves the stability of the shoulder.
Internal Rotation
- Attach a resistance band to a sturdy object at waist height. Stand next to the band and hold the band with your hand closest to the band.
- Bend your elbow to 90 degrees while keeping your arm at your side.
- Now rotate your arm inward towards your stomach and against the resistance of the band. Return to the starting position slowly.
Shoulder Rolls
- Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.
- Roll your shoulders backward in a smooth circular motion, squeezing your shoulder blades each time.
- This is a good exercise to perform early in rehab when your pain is still severe. It effectively improves shoulder mobility while avoiding aggravating any shoulder pain
Upright Row
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a resistance band in front of you with your arms straight and palms facing each other.
- Bend your elbows to 90 degrees and pull your shoulder blades down and back, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Hold this position for 5 seconds and then release.
- This exercise targets the upper back muscles, which are the rhomboids and middle trapezius muscles. These muscles are responsible for improving posture and shoulder stability.
Wall Angels
- Wall angels are a great exercise for improving shoulder mobility and posture.
- To perform this exercise, stand with your back against a wall and the back of your arms and shoulders flat on the wall. Slowly slide your arms overhead, keeping them in contact with the wall, and then lower them back down.
- This exercise should feel like a stretch, but not painful. If it is painful then perform in a smaller range.
Pec Stretch
- This exercise stretches your pectoral muscles, which are your chest muscles. These muscles are commonly tight when you have poor posture or a shoulder injury.
- Stand in a doorway or corner of a room.
- Place your arms on both sides of the doorway or corner, with your elbows at shoulder height and your forearms and elbows resting against the wall.
- Step forward with one foot to gently stretch the chest muscles. Keep your back straight and your shoulders relaxed.
- Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds
Shoulder Flexion
- Shoulder flexion or the ability to lift your arm fully overhead is one of the most common actions that become limited in a shoulder injury.
- Lie on your back on a mat or flat surface, with your legs straight and your arms by your sides.
- Hold a wand, cane, umbrella or towel with both hands. You can get creative with this if you do not have a wand lying around your house.
- Place your hands shoulder-width apart with your palms facing down.
- Slowly raise the wand above your head, keeping your arms straight throughout the entire exercise
- Continue raising the wand as far as you can behind your head. Stop at the point where you feel a good stretch but not pain and then slowly lower the wand back to the starting position.
Internal rotation Towel Stretch
- Hold a small towel or strap in your good hand and reach behind your back with your affected shoulder.
- Bring your good hand over your shoulder and reach behind your back with the affected shoulder to grab the other end of the towel.
- Slowly walk your affected hand up the towel towards your shoulder blades while using your good hand overhead to gently pull the towel downwards.
- Stop when you feel a stretch in your shoulder and hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds.
- This is a stretch and should not be painful.
Serratus Punches
- Lie flat on your back on a mat or flat surface with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.
- Hold a light 1 or 2-pound dumbbell in one hand, with your arm extended straight up towards the ceiling. If you do not have a dumbbell this light you can use a can of soup or a light object around your house.
- Punch the weight up towards the ceiling and return to the starting position.
Y, T, I
- This exercise is great for shoulder stability because it forces you to bear weight through your shoulder.
- Start on your hands and knees with your hands directly below your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips.
- Now lift one arm up in front of you at a diagonal. Now bring it back to the starting position. This is the “Y” of the exercise. You will perform this exercise on each arm so it does not matter which side you start with. Be sure to keep your thumbs pointing to the ceiling when performing this exercise
- Start in the same position on your hands and knees and bring one arm directly out to the side. This is the “T” of exercise.
- Start in the same position on your hands and knees and bring one arm directly back so that it is parallel with your body. This is the “I” of the exercise.
- If any of these exercises are too difficult or painful you can perform them on your stomach.
Overhead Presses
- Another name for this exercise is military press or shoulder press.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height
- With your palms facing forward. Slowly push the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended overhead. Lower the dumbbells back down to shoulder height.
- This is an advanced exercise and should only be performed later on in the rehab process. They should be performed with light weight and slowly progressed.
Lateral Raise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, with your palms facing inward.
- Slowly raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the ground. Lower your arms back down to your sides.
- Lateral raises target the outside of your shoulder known as the middle deltoid muscles and can help improve shoulder strength and stability.
Reverse Fly
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length in front of your thighs, with your palms facing each other.
- Hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
- Keeping your elbows slightly bent, raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the ground, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
- Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.

Tips For Avoiding Shoulder Replacement

Now that you have seen the most important shoulder exercises to avoid shoulder replacement, let’s discuss some tips to avoid shoulder surgery.

Don’t wait until your symptoms are so bad that it is too late.
- This can cause further injury to your shoulder joint, muscles and rotator cuff tendons.
- If you have another condition such as scoliosis it is important to address all of your conditions. Your shoulder pain may be due to scoliosis and not a rotator cuff tear. If this sounds like you, you can find 15 Simple Scoliosis Shoulder Pain Treatment Exercises.
See a licensed physical therapist!
- I am a physical therapist and know how important it is for patients to have guidance on how to perform exercises. One exercise may work for someone, while it may be too aggressive for another patient.
- A Physical therapist can also give you tips on how to properly perform an exercise
Listen to your body
- No exercise should cause you a 9/10 pain. If it is that painful you should stop the exercise immediately and reach out to your healthcare provider to evaluate you. Perform each exercise to your pain tolerance
Do your exercises! Consistency is key, so add specific shoulder exercises to your regular exercise routine.
Alter everyday activities. You may have to modify how you perform some of your daily tasks such as not keeping your heavy dinner plates in the top cabinet in your kitchen. This will decrease your need to reach overhead repeatedly.
Improve shoulder range of motion and flexibility. If your shoulder constantly feels stiff it may be due to a decrease in range of motion. Focus your rehab on flexibility exercises
Improve Posture. When you have poor posture, specific muscles get tight, and can increase the stress on your shoulder muscles. In addition to this, it can cause more pain.

Summary of Exercises To Avoid Shoulder Replacement

Deciding to have a shoulder replacement surgery is a big decision and a long recovery process. If you are looking for conservative treatment options these exercises to avoid shoulder replacement surgery are perfect for you.

These shoulder exercises to avoid shoulder replacement target key muscles in the shoulder joint, including all of the rotator cuff muscles, deltoids, rhomboids and trapezius muscles.

Remember, it’s important to start slowly with light weight and focus on proper form to avoid injury. I encourage you to incorporate these regular exercises into your exercise program for optimal shoulder health and a full recovery. If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to consult with a healthcare professional or physical therapist.

13 Helpful Exercises To Avoid Shoulder Replacement - Katie E Good (2024)