Advanced Shoulder Post-Fracture Rehabilitation

Program Overview This is an advanced, 22-week shoulder rehabilitation program for someone recovering from a shoulder fracture. It combines hands-on therapy techniques with progressive strengthening using a TRX suspension trainer, therapy putty, and resistance bands. The plan is built to be gradual and supervised, moving you through four phases from early protection to advanced, sport-like strength and control.

Who This Program Is For and Its Goal This program suits people whose fracture has healed enough to begin guided movement and who have been cleared by their orthopedic clinician for rehabilitation. The goal is to restore full, comfortable shoulder motion, rebuild rotator cuff and shoulder-blade (scapular) strength, and return you to everyday and higher-demand activities safely. Progress is earned by meeting clear milestones rather than by calendar dates alone.

Before You Start Please begin only with your clinician's approval and ideally with supervision from a physical therapist. This program is not a substitute for individual assessment.

Safety Notes and When to Stop Do not start if you have limited range of motion that has not yet been assessed, signs of compartment syndrome, severe osteoporosis, or a risk of deep vein thrombosis. Avoid overloading the shoulder, and keep your spine in a neutral, comfortable position during exercises. Stop and contact your clinician promptly if you develop sudden severe pain, swelling, numbness, weakness, chest pain, shortness of breath, or calf pain and swelling.

Weekly Structure Plan for three sessions per week, about 45 minutes each, across the 22 weeks.

How the Plan Is Organized Think of the program in four phases. Early weeks focus on protection and pain control, then early range of motion, then controlled strengthening, and finally advanced strengthening. Each session uses your TRX, therapy putty, and resistance bands, with therapy ultrasound, low-level laser, and gentle joint mobilization provided by your clinician where appropriate. You move to the next phase only when the milestones for your current phase are met.

What a Typical Session Looks Like Each visit follows a predictable rhythm so you know what to expect.

Warm-Up, Main Work, Cool-Down Start with gentle movement and pendulum-style warm-ups to loosen the shoulder. The main work blends your clinician's hands-on techniques with band and putty exercises for the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers, plus TRX work for control and stability. Finish with light stretching and easy range-of-motion drills to cool down, keeping everything within a comfortable range and never pushing into sharp pain.

Tracking Progress Your therapist will record your shoulder function scores, pain ratings, range of motion, and strength at set intervals.

How Progression and Outcome Measures Work You advance between phases by meeting the listed criteria, such as reaching a target range of motion, strength level, or pain-free movement, rather than by time alone. Standard outcome measures, including the ASES and Constant-Murley scores, pain scales, goniometry, manual muscle testing, and functional tests, help your clinician confirm you are ready to progress and track your recovery over time.

Recovery and Self-Care Rest between sessions, stay hydrated, and follow your clinician's guidance on activity and any home exercises.

Pain Management and Red Flags Use pain as your guide and avoid pushing through sharp or worsening pain. Do not add medications or supplements without checking with your clinician. Seek urgent care for sudden severe pain, marked swelling, numbness, chest pain, or breathing difficulty, and report any new calf pain or swelling right away.