Beginner Shoulder Rehabilitation Post-Fracture

Published: July 26, 2026Updated: October 6, 2026

A 14-week beginner program aimed at restoring shoulder function after a fracture, focusing on the rotator cuff, labrum, AC joint, and biceps tendon, with exercises using a balance board, elliptical, wrist splint, and balance pad.

Quick summary

Professional rehabilitation program designed for effective recovery and pain management.

Medically reviewed by WellAlly Editorial TeamLast reviewed October 6, 2026Editorial policy

Key facts at a glance

Body part: upper-limb · shoulder
Injury type: post-fracture
Level: beginner
Duration: 14
Sessions/week: 5
Minutes/session: 45
Evidence level: moderate
ICD-10: S42
Cost tier: moderate

Program Overview This is a 14-week, beginner-level shoulder rehabilitation guide for someone recovering from a shoulder fracture. It uses five weekly sessions of about 45 minutes, with equipment including a balance board, elliptical, wrist splint, and balance pad. The plan blends hands-on therapies with gentle, progressive exercise to rebuild motion, strength, and confidence.

Who This Program Is For and Its Goal This program is for people in the early stages of recovery after a shoulder fracture who want to regain comfortable movement and strength. The goal is to protect the healing shoulder early, then gradually restore range of motion, rotator-cuff activation, and scapular control. Progress should be guided and supervised by your clinician throughout.

Before You Start Check in with your treating clinician before beginning and at each phase change. Bring (or wear) your wrist splint if prescribed, and set up a clear space for balance work. Because compartment syndrome is listed as a contraindication, this program should not proceed without your clinician's explicit clearance.

Safety Notes and When to Stop Stop and contact your clinician promptly if you notice severe or rapidly worsening pain, unusual swelling or tightness, numbness, tingling, or a feeling that the shoulder is "giving way." These are warning signs that need assessment, not exercises. Follow warm-up and cool-down precautions every session, and never push through sharp pain.

Weekly Structure The 14 weeks are organized into progressive phases, starting with protection and early motion, moving into active movement, then strengthening, and finally more advanced control work. Each session lasts about 45 minutes, five times per week. Expect the balance board, balance pad, and elliptical to be introduced gradually as your control improves.

How the 14-Week Plan Is Organized Early weeks focus on gentle protection, assisted motion, and calming the shoulder. Middle weeks add active movement and light resistance. Later weeks build strength and coordination using bands, light weights, and balance equipment. Your clinician decides when you move forward based on how the shoulder responds, not simply on the calendar.

What a Typical Session Looks Like Each session follows a warm-up, main work, and cool-down pattern. The main work may include ultrasound for soft tissue healing, Russian electrical stimulation to help wake up the rotator cuff, pulley-assisted motion, band strengthening, and scapular control drills. Balance board and pad work build steadiness, while the elliptical supports general conditioning.

Warm-Up, Main Work, and Cool-Down Begin with gentle warm-up movement to prepare the shoulder. Then do your main work as directed, using the pulley for assisted range, bands and light dumbbells for strengthening, and balance equipment for control. Finish with a cool-down of easy motion and relaxed breathing. Use the wrist splint as prescribed and the elliptical for light aerobic conditioning when cleared.

Tracking Progress Keep a simple log of pain, what you did, and how the shoulder felt afterward. Your clinician will use measures like the SPADI, ASES score, pain scale, range-of-motion goniometry, strength testing, and the Scapular Dyskinesis Test to track change over time. These help guide safe progression rather than guesswork.

How Progression Criteria Are Used Progression between phases is based on meeting specific, clinician-checked milestones such as comfortable passive and active motion, pain-free isometric contractions, and controlled scapular movement. Outcome measures add an objective picture of function and strength. Your clinician interprets these together to decide when advancing is appropriate.

Recovery and Self-Care Between Sessions Rest and sleep positioning matter as much as exercise. Use pillow support for comfort, keep up general light activity as cleared, and respect soreness by scaling back rather than pushing through. Consistent, calm practice tends to serve recovery better than occasional intense effort.

Pain Management Cautions and Red Flags This guide does not include medication advice; discuss pain relief with your clinician or pharmacist. Watch for red flags such as sudden severe pain, marked swelling, tightness, numbness, or weakness, and seek prompt assessment. These warrant stopping exercise and contacting your care team rather than continuing.

Recovery phases

Week 1Protection Phase

Pain at rest ≤2/10 on visual analog scale,Glenohumeral joint swelling minimal or absent,Passive forward flexion to 45 degrees tolerated without increased pain,Rotator cuff isometric contractions without muscle spasm,Scapular positioning maintained in neutral during bed mobility,Sleep quality improved with pillow support

→ Advance to: Early Mobility Phase

Week 2Early Mobility Phase

Passive forward flexion to 70 degrees achieved,Passive external rotation at 0 degrees abduction to 20 degrees tolerated,Isometric rotator cuff contractions (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis) pain-free,Scapular protraction/retraction against gravity without pain,Active assisted shoulder flexion to 60 degrees with unaffected arm,No pain with gentle glenohumeral joint oscillations

→ Advance to: Active Motion Phase

Week 3Active Motion Phase

Active forward flexion to 90 degrees achieved,Active external rotation at 0 degrees abduction to 30 degrees,glenohumeral joint proprioception training initiated without compensation,Scapular elevation and depression against gravity to full range,Biceps tendon isometrics in neutral without pain,Able to perform supine scapular clocks exercise

→ Advance to: Strengthening Phase I

Week 4Strengthening Phase I

Active forward flexion to 110 degrees,External rotation at 90 degrees abduction to 30 degrees,Rotator cuff isotonics (subscapularis, infraspinatus) with 1 lb tolerated,Scapular stabilization exercises in prone (prone Y, T, W) without compensation,glenohumeral joint rhythm maintained during active motion,Biceps curl with 1 lb through full range without pain

→ Advance to: Strengthening Phase II

Week 5Strengthening Phase II

Forward flexion to 130 degrees with good mechanics,External rotation at 90 degrees abduction to 45 degrees,Rotator cuff resistance bands (yellow) tolerated for external rotation,Internal rotation against resistance band without pain,Scapular strengthening with 2 lb dumbbell rows,Biceps strengthening with 2 lb dumbbells

→ Advance to: Advanced Strengthening Phase

Week 6Advanced Strengthening Phase

Forward flexion to 150 degrees with proper scapulohumeral rhythm,External rotation at 90 degrees abduction to 60 degrees,Rotator cuff functional strengthening with 3 lb,Supraspinatus full can exercise with 2 lb tolerated,AC joint pain-free with overhead activities,Biceps tendon resisted flexion through full range

→ Advance to: Power Phase

Week 7Power Phase

Full forward flexion range of motion achieved,External rotation strength 4/5 on manual muscle testing,Internal rotation strength 4/5 on manual muscle testing,Scapular control during functional reaching tasks,Rotator cuff endurance training initiated,Biceps functional power near baseline

→ Advance to: Endurance Phase

Week 8Endurance Phase

Glenohumeral joint endurance testing 30+ repetitions,Rotator cuff fatigue resistance maintained,Scapular endurance during prolonged overhead activity,Proprioceptive training on unstable surfaces completed,Biceps endurance matching contralateral side,Sleep disturbance resolved

→ Advance to: Sport-Specific Phase

Week 9Sport-Specific Phase

Throwing progression initiated at 50% velocity,Shoulder endurance for 30+ minutes of activity,Rotator cuff and scapular control during acceleration phase,AC joint stress testing pain-free,Biceps tendon load tolerance during throwing,Scapular loading tolerance without fatigue

→ Advance to: Return to Activity Phase I

Week 10Return to Activity Phase I

Full velocity throwing without pain,Contact sports clearance from physician,Rotator cuff strength 85% of contralateral side,glenohumeral joint range of motion within 5 degrees of contralateral,Scapular dyskinesis absent during functional tasks,Biceps tendon stability confirmed

→ Advance to: Return to Activity Phase II

Week 11Return to Activity Phase II

Sport-specific drills at 75% intensity,Rotator cuff and labral stress testing tolerated,AC joint load testing pain-free,Biceps tendon resisted test negative for SLAP pathology,Scapular performance index improved,Functional movement patterns normalized

→ Advance to: Return to Activity Phase III

Week 12Return to Activity Phase III

Full practice participation cleared,Rotator cuff strength 90% of contralateral side,Return to sport specific testing passed,glenohumeral translation within normal limits,No subjective instability reported,Patient satisfaction ≥8/10

→ Advance to: Maintenance Phase

Week 13Maintenance Phase

Independent home exercise program compliance,Rotator cuff and scapular maintenance program established,Patient education on injury prevention completed,AC joint self-palpation without tenderness,Biceps tendon self-assessment negative,Return to activity goals met

→ Advance to: Discharge

Week 14Discharge Phase

Range of motion within functional limits (within 5 degrees of contralateral),Strength 90-100% of contralateral side,Functional outcome scores meeting discharge criteria,No provocative tests positive for residual pathology,Patient confident in self-management,Follow-up plan established

→ Advance to: Complete

Return to activity milestones

Pain-free basic activities of daily living

Week 4

Patient demonstrates correct hand therapy exercise technique

Light functional activities and conditioning

Week 6

Able to complete 5 minutes of light kitchen or desk activity

Moderate activity and sport-specific conditioning

Week 8

Patient reports ≥ 30% improvement in upper limb functional score

Full return to sport, occupation, and recreation

Week 14

Elbow valgus and varus stability intact under varus and valgus stress

Precautions

cool-down-after
warm-up-before

Contraindications

compartment-syndrome

Pain management

Cryotherapy (ice pack 15-20 minutes post-exercise)
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication as prescribed
Gentle soft tissue mobilization to trapezius and levator scapula
Submaximal isometric exercises to avoid pain provocation
Pain-free range of motion within tolerance limits

Equipment & modalities

Therapeutic ultrasound for soft tissue healingElectrical stimulation (Russian) for rotator cuff activationShoulder pulley for active assisted range of motionResistance bands for progressive strengtheningScapular stabilization equipment (theraband, dumbbells)balance-boardellipticalwrist-splintbalance-pad

Frequently asked questions

How sore is too sore after a session?

Mild, short-lived soreness that settles with rest and your cool-down is generally acceptable, but sharp or worsening pain is a signal to stop and check with your clinician. Always let them guide what is safe for you.

Can I skip the warm-up or cool-down if I'm short on time?

It's best not to skip them, since your plan specifically lists warm-up before and cool-down after as precautions. They help prepare the shoulder and support recovery between sessions.

When will I move to the next phase?

Progression is based on meeting the clinician-checked milestones for each phase and how your shoulder responds, not just the calendar. Your care team will confirm when it's safe to advance.

This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Medical Disclaimer

This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you have about a medical condition, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you read here.

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.

Medically reviewed by WellAlly Editorial Team Last reviewed October 6, 2026. · Read our editorial policy