Beginner Shoulder Rehabilitation After Fracture

Program Overview This is a beginner shoulder rehabilitation guide for people recovering from a shoulder fracture. It runs 17 weeks, five sessions per week, about 20 minutes each, using a resistance band and tennis ball. The plan includes protection early on, then gradual motion and strengthening. It covers the rotator cuff, labrum, AC joint, and biceps tendon. Your care team may also use electrical stimulation, ultrasound, taping, and a sling in early weeks. Always follow your clinician's specific instructions alongside this guide.

Who This Program Is For and Its Goal This program is for adults healing from a shoulder fracture who are cleared by their clinician to begin gentle rehabilitation. The goal is to protect the healing bone and soft tissues first, then gradually restore comfortable shoulder movement, scapular control, and rotator cuff strength. By the end, you should move more easily and use your arm for everyday tasks with more confidence. Progress is guided by how you feel and by your clinician's check-ins, not by rushing through phases.

Before You Start Check with your clinician before beginning and confirm your fracture is stable enough for this level of activity. Have your resistance band and tennis ball ready, and wear comfortable clothing. Clear a small space and use a mirror if helpful. Know your sling or orthosis instructions. If you are unsure about any exercise, ask your physical therapist to show you first. Safety comes before completing every repetition.

Safety Notes and When to Stop Do not exercise during acute inflammation, with severe pain, or if your fracture fixation is unstable; your clinician will tell you if these apply. Avoid overloading the shoulder, keep your spine in a neutral comfortable position, and always cool down after sessions. Stop and call your clinician if you have sharp or worsening pain, new swelling, numbness, weakness, chest pain, fever, or a sudden change in how the shoulder feels. Mild discomfort that settles with rest is common; escalating pain is not.

Weekly Structure Plan for five short sessions spread across the week, roughly 20 minutes each, with rest days as your clinician advises. Early sessions focus on protected positioning, posture, and gentle pain control. Later sessions add controlled band work and tennis-ball exercises for coordination and light strength. The 17 weeks are organized into overlapping phases: protection first, then guided motion, then progressive strengthening. Your clinician decides when you move between phases based on your signs and symptoms.

How the 17-Week Plan Is Organized The 17 weeks are divided into phases rather than fixed calendar jumps. Early weeks emphasize protection: sling positioning, neutral scapular posture, and pain control. Middle weeks introduce limited passive movement and gentle active-assisted motion as healing allows. Later weeks build rotator cuff and scapular strength with the band and tennis ball. Each phase has its own readiness signs, and your clinician confirms when you are ready to advance. Keep sessions short, consistent, and comfortable.

What a Typical Session Looks Like Each session follows a simple pattern: warm-up, main work, and cool-down. Warm-up includes gentle neck and shoulder-blade posture cues and relaxed breathing. Main work uses the resistance band for controlled pulls and the tennis ball for light squeezes or wall rolls, depending on your phase. Cool-down includes slow, comfortable range-of-motion movements and relaxed breathing. Your clinician may add taping, stimulation, or ultrasound around these sessions; these are provided under supervision and are not something you set up yourself.

Warm-Up, Main Work, and Cool-Down Start with a few minutes of gentle posture setting, shoulder-blade squeezes, and slow breathing to warm up. For main work, use the band for smooth, controlled movements within a comfortable range, and the tennis ball for gentle squeezes or supported wall rolls as taught. Keep movements slow and avoid jerking or forcing. Finish with a cool-down of relaxed pendulum-style motion if cleared, gentle neck stretches, and steady breathing. Stop any movement that causes sharp pain, and ask your therapist to adjust the exercise.

Tracking Progress Keep a simple log of each session: what you did, how the shoulder felt during and after, and your pain level at rest and with activity. Note any swelling, stiffness, or changes in sleep. Bring this to your clinician visits. Your care team will also track outcome measures such as the ASES and Constant-Murley scores, pain scales, range-of-motion measurements, strength testing, and the WOOS. These help show whether you are improving and whether the plan needs adjusting.

How Progression Criteria Are Used Your clinician uses phase readiness signs, not just the calendar, to decide when to advance. Early signs include pain controlled at rest, no signs of instability, decreasing tenderness, and improving scapular control. Later signs include improved endurance and healing that your clinician confirms. Outcome measures like range of motion, strength, and shoulder scores help guide these decisions. Do not push ahead on your own; if a phase feels too much, tell your therapist so the plan can be adjusted safely.

Recovery and Self-Care Recovery happens between sessions as much as during them. Protect sleep, stay hydrated, and keep up gentle posture habits throughout the day. Follow your sling or orthosis instructions exactly in early weeks. Use the band and tennis ball only as directed, and avoid heavy lifting, pushing, or reaching overhead until cleared. Apply cool-downs consistently and pace your daily activities. Ask your clinician about safe ways to manage daily tasks while your shoulder heals.

Pain Management Cautions and Red Flags Do not push through sharp or escalating pain, and avoid exercises during flare-ups of inflammation. Rest the shoulder when it feels irritated, but keep gentle movement as advised to avoid stiffness. Do not adjust medications or start new ones without your clinician. Seek urgent care for chest pain, severe shortness of breath, sudden weakness or numbness, a cold or pale arm, fever with worsening swelling, or a shoulder that suddenly looks deformed or feels unstable.