Beginner Shoulder Post-Fracture Rehabilitation

Program Overview This is a six-week, beginner-level rehabilitation guide for someone recovering from a shoulder fracture. It combines hands-on therapy techniques with gentle strengthening and movement work, using a cable machine, foam roller, and wrist splint.

Who This Is For and Its Goal This program is for people early in recovery after a shoulder fracture who have been cleared by their clinician to begin guided rehabilitation. The goal is to protect the healing shoulder, gradually restore comfortable movement, and build strength in the rotator cuff and the muscles that steady the shoulder blade—one careful step at a time.

Before You Start Please review this plan with your treating clinician or physical therapist before beginning, and do not start if you have been told your fracture is still recent or your range of motion has not yet been assessed. These are important safety checkpoints.

Safety Notes and When to Stop Your shoulder is still healing, so avoid pushing into sharp pain and keep your spine in a neutral, comfortable position throughout. Warm up before any resistance work. Stop and contact your clinician if you notice sudden increases in pain, new swelling, numbness, or a feeling that the shoulder is catching or giving way.

Weekly Structure The plan runs six weeks at five short sessions per week, about twenty minutes each. It moves through four gentle phases: protection and pain control, early movement, progressive movement, and the start of strengthening.

How the Six-Week Plan Is Organized Early weeks focus on calming pain, protecting the shoulder, and beginning gentle assisted movement. As you progress, you add more motion and then light strengthening. Your therapist guides hands-on techniques like soft tissue work, joint mobilization, and ultrasound, while you practice wall slides, serratus punches, and band exercises. Equipment such as the cable machine and foam roller is introduced only when your clinician feels it is safe and appropriate for your stage.

What a Typical Session Looks Like Each session follows a warm-up, main work, and cool-down pattern. Warm-up may include gentle pendulum movement and soft tissue prep. The main work includes your prescribed mobility and stabilization exercises, with resistance or cable work added only when cleared. Cool-down uses the foam roller for gentle surrounding-area release and easy breathing to finish calmly.

Warm-Up, Main Work, and Cool-Down Pattern Begin with light movement and any soft tissue preparation your therapist recommends. Move into your main exercises—scapular setting, wall slides, and bands—keeping effort comfortable and controlled. Finish with gentle foam-roller work on nearby areas and relaxed breathing, avoiding direct pressure on the healing shoulder.

Tracking Progress Your clinician will track your pain, movement, strength, and how well you use your arm for daily tasks using simple questionnaires and measurements. Keep notes on how your shoulder feels during and after sessions, and share these with your care team so your plan can be adjusted.

How Progression Criteria Are Used You move to the next phase only when your clinician confirms you have met the specific goals for your current phase, such as comfortable rest pain, improved movement, or steady muscle control. Outcome measures like pain scales, range-of-motion checks, strength testing, and function questionnaires help guide these decisions objectively.

Recovery and Self-Care Rest, good sleep, and pacing your activity support healing. Follow your immobilization and protection instructions, use your wrist splint as advised, and keep up with gentle movement as directed. Consistency matters more than intensity in these early weeks.

Pain Management Cautions and Red Flags Avoid overloading the shoulder and respect pain as a signal to ease off. Contact your clinician promptly for worsening pain, new swelling, numbness, weakness, or any clicking or catching that concerns you. Do not add resistance or new exercises without guidance.