Advanced Shoulder Post-Fracture Rehabilitation

Program Overview — Advanced Shoulder Post-Fracture Rehabilitation

This program is for people who have had a shoulder fracture and are now ready for advanced, active rehabilitation under clinician guidance. Its goal is to restore full shoulder movement, rebuild rotator cuff and scapular strength, sharpen joint awareness, and return you confidently to overhead reaching and lifting. It runs 21 weeks, four sessions per week, about 45 minutes each, and uses a dip station, tennis ball, and foam roller. Progress depends on meeting the milestones described below, not simply on the calendar.

Before You Start

Do not begin this program without clearance from your treating clinician, and only proceed if your surgical fixation is confirmed stable—this program is not appropriate for an unstable fixation. Always warm up before activity and cool down afterward, and keep your spine in a neutral position during exercises. Stop and contact your clinician if you notice sudden sharp pain, a feeling that the shoulder is slipping or giving way, new swelling, numbness, or weakness that worsens. Some discomfort with activity can be normal; escalating pain is a signal to pause.

Weekly Structure

The plan spans 21 weeks at four sessions per week of roughly 45 minutes. It moves through four broad phases: an early protection phase focused on comfort and gentle positioning; a phase of assisted movement and light muscle activation; a phase building active movement and early strengthening; and finally progressive strengthening with functional training. Advancement is based on meeting movement, strength, and comfort milestones rather than fixed dates, so the timeline may stretch or compress depending on how you respond.

What a Typical Session Looks Like

Start with a warm-up using the foam roller for gentle soft tissue work around the shoulder blade and upper back, plus light arm movements. Main work includes range-of-motion and stretching exercises, joint and soft tissue mobilization as directed by your clinician, strengthening using the dip station and tennis ball, and proprioceptive and functional drills such as overhead reaching. Finish with a cool-down of gentle stretching and relaxed breathing. Keep the spine neutral throughout and follow any sling or positioning guidance given early on.

Tracking Progress

Your clinician uses readiness milestones to decide when to move to the next phase—for example, comfortable passive movement early on, then active range and strength gains later. These are checked together with formal outcome measures: the ASES and Constant-Murley scores, pain ratings, goniometric range of motion, manual muscle testing, and single-arm dynamometry. Track your symptoms and session tolerance between visits so adjustments can be made. Meeting criteria matters more than the week number.

Recovery and Self-Care

Expect some soreness after new activities, but scale back if pain rises or lingers. Use the sling and positioning as prescribed early in recovery, prioritize sleep, and avoid heavy overhead loads until cleared. Contact your clinician promptly for red flags such as a sensation of instability, sudden loss of movement, significant new swelling, fever, or chest pain. Pain medication decisions should always come from your prescribing clinician, not from this guide.