Beginner Shoulder Tendon Repair Rehabilitation

Beginner Shoulder Tendon Repair Rehabilitation Program — 18-Week Guide

This program is for people recovering from shoulder tendon repair surgery who are cleared by their surgeon and physical therapist to begin supervised rehabilitation. Its goal is to gently restore shoulder motion, rebuild strength in the rotator cuff and surrounding muscles, and return you to everyday activities safely over 18 weeks. It is a beginner-level plan, so exercises start easy and only advance when your body shows it is ready.

Before You Start

Only begin after your surgeon and physical therapist confirm it is safe. Do not exercise if your wound is opening or separating, if you have severe muscle wasting, active acute inflammation, or severe pain. Always warm up first, and stop if pain increases during or after exercise. Contact your clinician promptly if you notice new swelling, fever, wound changes, sudden weakness, or pain that keeps getting worse. Never push through sharp pain.

Weekly Structure

You will do three sessions per week, about 30 minutes each, for 18 weeks. The plan moves through four phases: early protection and pain control, then gentle assisted motion, then active motion with light strengthening, and finally progressive strengthening. Equipment like resistance bands, dumbbells, cables, a foam roller, and a BOSU ball is introduced gradually. Your therapist decides when you advance based on your motion, pain, and strength, not just the calendar.

What a Typical Session Looks Like

Each session follows a warm-up, main work, and cool-down pattern. Warm-up may include gentle pendulum motion and light foam rolling of the upper back. Main work uses the phases above: passive or assisted motion early on, then active motion, scapular control work, and progressive resistance with bands, dumbbells, or cables. Cool-down includes gentle stretching and relaxed breathing. Your therapist may add soft tissue or joint mobilization and BOSU-based proprioception drills as you progress.

Tracking Progress

Your therapist uses specific phase criteria, such as pain levels, measured range of motion, and scapular control, to decide when you move to the next phase. Outcome measures like the ASES, Constant-Murley, Simple Shoulder Test, pain scale, goniometer readings, and manual muscle testing track your progress over time. These guide decisions but do not replace your clinician's judgment. Keep a simple log of pain, exercises, and how you feel.

Recovery and Self-Care

Follow your surgeon's and therapist's advice on sling use, rest, and activity. Use ice or other comfort measures only as your clinician directs, and avoid medications advice from non-clinicians. Red flags needing prompt contact include increasing pain, new swelling, wound drainage, fever, or loss of motion or strength. Rest days matter, and sleep and nutrition support healing. Never ignore symptoms that feel wrong.