Intermediate Shoulder Tendon Repair Rehabilitation

Program Overview This is an 11-week, intermediate-level rehabilitation plan for someone recovering from a shoulder tendon repair. You'll train five days a week for about 45 minutes per session. The plan moves in phases—starting with protection and pain control, then gradually adding gentle mobility, before building strength. Recovery after tendon repair takes patience, and the pace is set by how your shoulder responds, not by the calendar alone.

Who This Program Is For and Its Goal This program is for people who have had a shoulder tendon repair and are ready for structured, supervised rehabilitation at an intermediate level. The goal is to protect the healing tendon early on, restore pain-free movement, and then rebuild shoulder and rotator cuff strength so you can return to daily activities and, eventually, more demanding tasks. Your therapist adjusts the pace to your body.

Before You Start Please review this plan with your surgeon or physical therapist before beginning, and confirm the timing of each phase with them. This guide supports—but does not replace—professional supervision. If you have any of the listed precautions or conditions, your clinician must clear you first. Never push through sharp pain, and always warm up before and cool down after each session.

Safety Notes and When to Stop Do not start if you have active inflammation, severe osteoporosis, signs of compartment syndrome, or a wound that has opened (dehiscence)—these need clinician review first. Stop exercise and call your clinician if you notice sudden severe pain, new swelling, numbness or tingling, skin color changes, wound drainage, fever, or a shoulder that feels unstable. Mild soreness that settles with rest is common; escalating pain is a signal to pause and check in.

Weekly Structure Plan for five sessions each week, roughly 45 minutes each, across the 11 weeks. Early weeks focus on protection and pain control, middle weeks add gentle passive and active-assisted movement, and later weeks build controlled strength. Your equipment—wrist splint, rower, dip station, and barbell—is introduced only when your phase and clinician allow, and never before the shoulder is ready for it.

How the Plan Is Organized The 11 weeks are divided into phases that progress from protection to mobility to strengthening. In the first phase, your job is to rest the shoulder, control pain, and keep the healing tendon safe, often with a sling as prescribed. The second phase introduces gentle passive and active-assisted movement within set limits. Later phases add controlled strengthening. Your therapist decides when you advance based on the progression criteria, not the week number alone.

What a Typical Session Looks Like Each session follows a warm-up, main work, and cool-down pattern. Warm-up might include gentle arm and shoulder movements and light rower work only if cleared. Main work matches your current phase—pain control and positioning early, mobility drills later, and controlled strengthening when ready. Cool-down includes gentle stretching and soft tissue work. Modalities such as ice, soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilization, pulsed ultrasound, or electrical stimulation may be added by your clinician.

Warm-Up, Main Work, and Cool-Down Begin with a few minutes of gentle warm-up, such as supported arm swings or light rower use if your therapist approves. The main portion uses phase-appropriate exercises; equipment like the dip station or barbell comes only in later strengthening phases under supervision. Finish with a cool-down of soft tissue mobilization to the trapezius, levator scapulae, and rotator cuff, plus ice or ice massage as directed. Keep movements smooth and within comfort.

Tracking Progress Your clinician will track your shoulder using the Constant-Murley Score, the Simple Shoulder Test, the DASH questionnaire, and a pain scale (VAS). They'll also measure shoulder range of motion with goniometry and test rotator cuff strength with manual muscle testing. These measures, combined with how you feel day to day, help show whether you're ready to move to the next phase or need more time.

How Progression Criteria Are Used You move between phases when you meet specific criteria—for example, pain well controlled at rest, swelling minimal, and range-of-motion targets reached—rather than simply when weeks pass. Your therapist compares your outcome measures and functional milestones against these criteria to decide on progression. This keeps the tendon protected while still challenging you appropriately. If a criterion isn't met, the plan pauses or adjusts.

Recovery and Self-Care Rest, good sleep, and consistent sling use (as prescribed) support healing. Apply ice or ice massage as your clinician advises to manage soreness, and keep the shoulder supported during rest. Avoid carrying heavy loads or reaching overhead until cleared. Gentle soft tissue work on the surrounding muscles can ease tension. Report any change in symptoms promptly, and follow your care team's instructions on wound care and activity limits.

Pain Management and Red Flags Use ice and positioning for comfort, but never exceed what your clinician recommends, and avoid any medication decisions on your own—ask your care team. Stop and seek help for severe or worsening pain, new swelling, numbness, color changes, wound drainage, or fever. These could signal a problem that needs prompt review. Listen to your body; pushing through warning signs can set recovery back.