Intermediate Shoulder Post-Fracture Rehabilitation

Program Overview This four-week intermediate rehabilitation guide is designed for people recovering from a shoulder fracture. It blends gentle mobility work with progressive strengthening and uses tools like therapy putty, resistance bands, kettlebells, a barbell, a pull-up bar, and a dip station. Modalities such as ultrasound, TENS, taping, and shoulder pulleys support healing and comfort. Your clinician will supervise and adjust the plan as you advance through each phase.

Who This Program Is For and Its Goal This program is for someone past the early healing stage of a shoulder fracture who has been cleared by a clinician to begin intermediate exercise. The goal is to restore comfortable shoulder movement, rebuild rotator cuff and scapular strength, and return you toward everyday function. It is not for people with severe osteoporosis, compartment syndrome, or severe muscle atrophy, and it should always be guided by your care team.

Before You Start Before beginning, confirm with your clinician that your fracture is stable and that you are safe to exercise. Set up a clear space, check your equipment, and keep a pain and symptom log. Stop and contact your clinician if you feel sharp pain, new swelling, numbness, or any concerning change. Never push through warning signs, and follow your therapist's specific instructions over this general guide.

Safety Notes and When to Stop This plan avoids overloading the shoulder, so keep movements controlled and within a comfortable range. Contraindications include severe osteoporosis, compartment syndrome, and severe muscle atrophy—your clinician will confirm these do not apply to you. Maintain a neutral spine and always cool down after sessions. Stop and call your clinician if you notice sudden severe pain, swelling, numbness, weakness, or pain that keeps worsening.

Weekly Structure You will train four sessions per week, about sixty minutes each, across four weeks. Week one focuses on protection and pain control, week two adds early mobility, week three builds progressive mobility, and week four introduces early strengthening. Each phase has clear checkpoints your clinician reviews before you advance, so the pace stays safe and tailored to your recovery.

How the Plan Is Organized The four-week plan moves in gentle steps: first calming pain and protecting the healing shoulder, then restoring movement, then building control, and finally adding strength. Sessions run about sixty minutes, four times weekly, with equipment such as therapy putty, bands, pulleys, a pull-up bar, dip station, kettlebell, and barbell introduced only when appropriate. Your therapist decides when each tool is safe for you to use.

What a Typical Session Looks Like A typical session starts with a warm-up using shoulder pulleys and gentle band work, then moves into the main exercises—putty, band, or light weighted movements depending on your phase—followed by a cool-down with stretching and relaxed breathing. Modalities like ultrasound, TENS, or taping may be added by your clinician. Keep movements smooth, maintain a neutral spine, and avoid overloading the shoulder at any point.

Warm-Up, Main Work, and Cool-Down Begin with pulleys and light bands to warm the shoulder and encourage easy motion. The main work uses therapy putty, resistance bands, and, when cleared, kettlebells, a barbell, pull-up bar, or dip station for controlled strengthening. Finish with gentle stretching and calm breathing to cool down. Your therapist chooses which equipment fits your phase, so never rush into heavier tools before you are ready.

Tracking Progress Keep a simple log of pain, movement, and exercises completed each session. Your clinician uses progression criteria—such as pain at rest and with activity, range of motion targets, and strength checks—to decide when to advance phases. Outcome measures like the ASES, SST, VAS, SPADI, goniometric range of motion, and manual muscle testing help track your recovery objectively over the four weeks.

How Progression Criteria Are Used You move between phases only when you meet the checkpoints your clinician sets, such as comfortable resting pain, stable fracture findings, and reaching movement and strength targets. These criteria keep progress safe rather than rushed. Outcome measures such as the ASES, SST, SPADI, pain scales, range-of-motion tests, and muscle testing give your care team a clear picture of how you are responding.

Recovery and Self-Care Between sessions, prioritize rest, good sleep, and gentle movement as tolerated. Use ice or heat only as your clinician advises, and follow any taping or modality instructions they give. Keep your spine neutral during daily tasks and avoid heavy lifting or repetitive overhead work until cleared. Report any new symptoms promptly so your program can be adjusted safely.

Pain Management Cautions and Red Flags Manage pain with rest and the strategies your clinician recommends rather than pushing through discomfort. This guide does not include medication advice—ask your care team about that. Seek urgent help for sudden severe pain, marked swelling, numbness, cold or pale skin, or a shoulder that suddenly cannot move, as these may signal a serious problem needing prompt evaluation.