Advanced Shoulder Tendon Repair Rehabilitation

Advanced Shoulder Tendon Repair Rehabilitation Program — 16-Week Guide

This program is for people recovering from a surgically repaired shoulder tendon who are ready for advanced rehabilitation. It combines strengthening of the rotator cuff, scapular stabilizers, and biceps with manual therapy, muscle stimulation, and balance work over 16 weeks, with the goal of restoring full motion, strength, and confident use of your shoulder for daily tasks and sport.

Before You Start

Only begin this program under the guidance of your surgeon and physical therapist, who must confirm your repair is healing well enough for advanced work. Do not proceed if you have an active infection, signs of compartment syndrome (severe swelling and pain that keep worsening), severe muscle wasting, or severe osteoporosis. Always warm up first and stop if pain increases; if pain, swelling, or weakness suddenly worsens, contact your clinician.

Weekly Structure

Plan on two supervised sessions per week, about 60 minutes each, for 16 weeks. You will move through four phases: protection and early mobility, controlled motion, strengthening, then advanced strengthening. Your therapy putty, pull-up bar, and ankle weights are introduced gradually, with more challenging work only after you meet each phase's goals. Expect early phases to feel gentle and later phases to feel more like training.

What a Typical Session Looks Like

Each session follows a warm-up, main work, and cool-down pattern. Warm-up includes gentle shoulder and scapular movements and light putty squeezes. Main work adds rotator cuff and scapular exercises, biceps work, and balance or pattern drills using the pull-up bar and ankle weights as appropriate for your phase, with manual therapy and muscle stimulation as your clinician directs. Cool-down includes light stretching, posture work, and ice or TENS if needed.

Tracking Progress

Your therapist uses the phase goals as checkpoints. For example, you stay in a phase until you can reach its motion and strength targets without increased pain, then you advance. Outcome measures such as the ASES, UCLA, Constant-Murley, and DASH scores, plus goniometric motion and handheld dynamometry strength, are repeated over time so you and your clinician can see progress and adjust the plan.

Recovery and Self-Care

Manage soreness with rest, ice, and TENS only as your clinician advises, and never push through sharp or rising pain. Keep up easy motion between sessions and follow your sling or activity instructions. Contact your clinician promptly for fever, spreading redness, sudden severe pain or swelling, new numbness, or a shoulder that suddenly feels unstable or gives way.