Beginner Shoulder Post-Fracture Rehabilitation

Program Overview This is an eight-week, beginner-level shoulder rehabilitation guide after a shoulder fracture. It uses gentle range-of-motion work, light resistance, and balance and stability training to help you regain comfortable movement and everyday function.

Who This Program Is For and Its Goal This program is for people recovering from a shoulder fracture who have been cleared by their clinician to begin guided rehabilitation at a beginner level. The goal is to protect the healing bone early on, then gradually rebuild motion, strength, shoulder control, and confidence with daily activities like dressing, reaching, and lifting light objects.

Before You Start Please review this plan with your treating clinician or physical therapist before beginning, and only start once you have been cleared. Your fracture must be stable enough for the exercises described.

Safety Notes Do not start if you have an open or healing wound that is separating, severe osteoporosis without clearance, or any sign of infection such as fever, spreading redness, warmth, or pus. Stop and call your clinician if you develop sudden sharp pain, new swelling, numbness, or a feeling that the shoulder has shifted. Some discomfort is common, but sharp or worsening pain is a signal to pause.

Weekly Structure Plan for two sessions per week, about 45 minutes each, across eight weeks. Sessions build from gentle assisted motion toward light strengthening and functional practice.

How the Plan Is Organized Weeks one and two focus on protection and gentle motion. Weeks three and four add active-assisted movement and light resistance. Later weeks progressively add strengthening, stability, and everyday-task practice, using the resistance band, light weights, suspension trainer, bosu ball, tennis ball, and pull-up bar only as your clinician approves. Each phase has specific checkpoints your therapist uses to decide when you are ready to move forward.

What a Typical Session Looks Like Each session follows a warm-up, main work, and cool-down pattern. Expect to spend most of your time on controlled, pain-free movement and light strengthening.

Session Pattern Begin with a gentle warm-up such as shoulder circles, scapular squeezes, and easy pendulum swings. Main work includes passive and active-assisted range of motion, band or light-weight rotator cuff work, scapular stabilization, and balance or position-sense drills with the bosu ball or tennis ball. Cool down with slow stretching and relaxed breathing. Use the suspension trainer and pull-up bar only for approved light support or grip work.

Tracking Progress Keep a simple log of your pain, what you did, and how it felt. Your clinician will also track standardized measures.

Using Progression Criteria and Outcome Measures Your therapist uses phase checkpoints—such as pain levels, comfortable range of motion, and tolerance to gentle resistance—to decide when to advance. Standardized tools like the ASES score, Simple Shoulder Test, SPADI, pain scale, range-of-motion measurements, and muscle testing help show whether you are improving overall, not just in one session.

Recovery and Self-Care Recovery takes time, and setbacks are normal. Prioritize sleep, gentle activity, and positions that keep your shoulder comfortable.

Pain Management and Red Flags Follow your clinician's guidance on pain relief and activity pacing; do not adjust medications on your own. Rest the shoulder when it is irritated, but avoid complete inactivity unless advised. Seek urgent care for fever, wound problems, sudden severe pain, or new weakness or numbness.