Beginner Shoulder Post-Fracture Rehabilitation

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

A 24-week beginner program using therapy putty, and barbells to aid in the recovery process.

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: 24
Sessions/week: 5
Minutes/session: 20
Evidence level: moderate
ICD-10: S42
Cost tier: moderate

Program Overview This is a beginner, 24-week shoulder rehabilitation guide for someone recovering from a shoulder fracture. It uses simple, supported movements and a small amount of equipment — therapy putty and a barbell — to help you rebuild motion, strength, and confidence in your shoulder. It is meant to be done alongside, not instead of, guidance from your physical therapist or doctor, and it emphasizes gentle pacing and pain control.

Who This Program Is For and Its Goal This program is for people who are past the earliest stage of fracture healing and ready to begin gentle, structured rehabilitation, but who are new to exercise and need a slow, careful start. The goal is to gradually restore comfortable shoulder motion and light strength, protect the healing bone and joint, reduce stiffness, and steadily return you toward everyday activities over about six months.

Before You Start Please review this plan with your physician or physical therapist before beginning, and get clearance confirming your fracture is healing as expected. Do not start if you have severe pain, severe osteoporosis (very fragile bones), or severe muscle wasting, as these need specialist supervision. Always warm up first, keep movements gentle, and stop if pain increases. Never push through sharp pain, and skip any weights the clinician has not approved.

Safety Notes and When to Stop Exercises should feel mild and manageable. Stop immediately and contact your clinician if you notice sharp or worsening pain, sudden swelling, numbness or tingling in the arm or hand, new weakness, or a sensation that the shoulder is unstable. Keep the arm supported as instructed, and avoid motions that press the collarbone or jam the shoulder together. Use ice as advised, and never force a stretch past a gentle pull.

Weekly Structure Plan for five short sessions each week, about twenty minutes per session, with rest days spread between them. Over the 24 weeks, expect to move through phases that start with very protected motion and progress to gentle active movement and light strengthening. The equipment stays simple: therapy putty for light grip and shoulder work, and a barbell later on for controlled, low-weight movements once your clinician approves.

How the 24 Weeks Are Organized The program runs in phases that build on each other. Early weeks focus on protection and pain control, with passive motion kept within limits your clinician sets, gentle joint and soft-tissue work, and no resisted rotator-cuff effort. As pain settles and range improves, you add isometric (no-movement) contractions, then active-assisted motion. Strengthening with putty and light barbell work comes later. Your therapist decides when each phase begins.

What a Typical Session Looks Like A typical session follows a warm-up, main work, and cool-down pattern. Warm-up uses gentle supported motion and posture cues. The main work may include putty squeezes, isometric holds, and — when approved — light barbell drills, along with modalities your clinician provides such as ice, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, or hands-on mobilization. Cool-down includes slow, easy movement and icing as recommended.

Warm-Up, Main Work, and Cool-Down Begin with a few minutes of gentle, supported shoulder and elbow movement to warm the tissues. Then do the main exercises from your current phase, keeping effort comfortable and pausing if pain rises. Finish with easy range-of-motion movement and ice as advised. Use putty for light, controlled squeezes, and only use the barbell once your clinician confirms it is safe, keeping weight very light.

Tracking Progress Keep a simple log of pain before and after each session, how far you can move your arm, and which exercises you did. Your clinician will use these notes, along with formal measures like the ASES and Constant-Murley shoulder scores, a pain scale, range-of-motion measurements, strength testing, and a functional throw test, to judge how you are doing and to adjust the plan safely.

How Progression Works You move between phases based on criteria your clinician sets, such as pain staying low, improving passive range, and tolerating gentle muscle contractions without flare-ups. These checkpoints, combined with outcome measures, guide when to add new exercises or more effort. Do not advance on your own — let your therapist confirm each step so healing stays protected.

Recovery and Self-Care Recovery takes time, so be patient and consistent. Prioritize sleep, use the positioning your clinician recommends, and apply ice as advised to manage soreness. Keep the elbow, wrist, and hand moving gently to prevent stiffness. Rest days are part of the plan, so do not add extra sessions to catch up, and check in with your therapist if you feel stuck.

Pain Management Cautions and Red Flags Keep activity at a level where pain stays mild and settles quickly. Avoid increasing resistance or range when pain is rising, and never mask worsening pain to push through. Seek prompt care for severe or sudden pain, marked swelling, numbness, tingling, new weakness, or a shoulder that feels unstable. Follow your clinician's advice on ice and any medications.

Recovery phases

Week 1Phase 1: Protection and Pain Control

Passive glenohumeral range of motion limited to 45 degrees flexion in scapular plane,Pain scale维持在3/10 or below with ice and analgesic modalities,No active rotator cuff contraction against resistance,Scapular stabilization in neutral with postural cues,Protected elbow, wrist, and hand ROM to prevent stiffness,AC joint compression and shearing forces avoided

→ Advance to: Phase 2: Early Protected Motion

Week 2Phase 1: Protection and Pain Control

Passive glenohumeral flexion improved to 60 degrees tolerance,Pain maintained below 3/10 with activity modification,Isometric rotator cuff contractions at submaximal effort initiated,Scapular depression and retraction drills in supine,Protected glenohumeral joint distraction with grade I-II mobilizations,Biceps tendon loading avoided with elbow flexor restrictions

→ Advance to: Phase 2: Early Protected Motion

Week 3Phase 1: Protection and Pain Control

Passive glenohumeral abduction to 45 degrees achieved,Pain consistently below 2/10 at rest,Isometric rotator cuff contractions at 50% effort tolerated,Scapular protraction and retraction in prone with arm supported,Elbow flexion and extension ROM progressing within tolerance,Sleep positioning optimized with abduction pillow

→ Advance to: Phase 2: Early Protected Motion

Week 4Phase 1: Protection and Pain Control

Passive glenohumeral flexion to 75 degrees achieved,Minimal to no pain with gentle glenohumeral mobilizations,Isometric rotator cuff at 75% effort without pain flare,Active-assisted scapular motions in sitting with contralateral arm support,No AC joint tenderness with palpation,Radiographic healing confirmation obtained

→ Advance to: Phase 2: Early Protected Motion

Week 5Phase 2: Early Protected Motion

Active-assisted glenohumeral flexion to 90 degrees in supine,Active-assisted glenohumeral abduction to 60 degrees in supine,Scapular upward rotation with active-assist from therapist,Rotator cuff isometrics converted to isotonic with 1 lb resistance,Glenohumeral joint play restored to near-normal capsular mobility,Pain less than 2/10 with all exercises

→ Advance to: Phase 2: Early Protected Motion

Week 6Phase 2: Early Protected Motion

Active glenohumeral flexion to 70 degrees in sitting,Active glenohumeral abduction to 45 degrees in sitting,Rotator cuff strengthening at 2 lb with good form,Scapular control during active arm elevation in scapular plane,No biceps tendon irritation with resisted elbow flexion,Improved glenohumeral rhythm documented

→ Advance to: Phase 2: Early Protected Motion

Week 7Phase 2: Early Protected Motion

Active glenohumeral flexion to 90 degrees with minimal substitution,Active glenohumeral abduction to 60 degrees with scapular control,Rotator cuff strengthening at 3 lb without compensation,Scapular stabilization drills in quadruped with limited weight bearing,Glenohumeral external rotation at 0 degrees abduction with 2 lb,Patient reports decreased shoulder stiffness

→ Advance to: Phase 2: Early Protected Motion

Week 8Phase 2: Early Protected Motion

Active glenohumeral flexion to 110 degrees,Active glenohumeral abduction to 80 degrees,Full active-assisted external rotation at 90 degrees abduction,Rotator cuff strengthening at 4 lb progressing through range,Scapular control during wall slides or ladder drills,No labral symptoms with overhead activities

→ Advance to: Phase 3: Progressive Strengthening

Week 9Phase 3: Progressive Strengthening

Active glenohumeral flexion to 130 degrees,Active glenohumeral abduction to 100 degrees,Rotator cuff strengthening at 5 lb with proper scapular positioning,External rotation at 90 degrees abduction at 3 lb,Internal rotation at 0 degrees abduction at 4 lb,Scapular strengthening in side-lying and prone

→ Advance to: Phase 3: Progressive Strengthening

Week 10Phase 3: Progressive Strengthening

Full active glenohumeral flexion achieved,Active glenohumeral abduction to 120 degrees with control,Rotator cuff progressive resistance at 6-7 lb,External rotation at 90 degrees abduction at 4 lb,Biceps tendon progressive loading with elbow flexion resistance,Scapular strengthening including rows and Y-T-W exercises

→ Advance to: Phase 3: Progressive Strengthening

Week 11Phase 3: Progressive Strengthening

Full active glenohumeral abduction achieved,External rotation at 90 degrees abduction at 5 lb,Internal rotation at 90 degrees abduction initiated,Proprioceptive drills with weight bearing through upper extremity,Scapular serratus anterior strengthening progressing,No pain with resisted biceps activities

→ Advance to: Phase 3: Progressive Strengthening

Week 12Phase 3: Progressive Strengthening

Full pain-free active ROM in all planes achieved,Rotator cuff strength 4/5 on manual muscle testing,External and internal rotation at 90 degrees abduction at 5+ lb,Scapular control during functional reaching tasks,AC joint stability confirmed without pain,Biceps tendon strength returned to 4/5

→ Advance to: Phase 3: Progressive Strengthening

Week 13Phase 3: Progressive Strengthening

Rotator cuff strengthening at functional resistance levels,Plyometric initiation with two-hand chest pass,Scapular endurance testing improved,Proprioceptive progression to unstable surfaces,Progressive loading of biceps tendon with resistance,Glenohumeral capsular mobility full and pain-free