These exercises serve to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles and are very helpful if you are feeling weakness, pain or clicking in your shoulder joint.
The exercises work on the internal rotators (subscapularis, teres major), the external rotators (teres minor, infraspinatus), and the abductors (supraspinatus)
Guidelines for performing the stretches:
- Check with a health care professional before you attempt these exercises to ensure that it is safe for you.
- Do the exercises slowly
- Try to breathe slowly and keep your body relaxed. Do not tense up or hold your breath as this will invite muscle spasm.
- Buy a few different colours of thera bands for this. Each colour represents a different degree of difficulty. Start with the easiest band and only move up to a more difficult colour band after you have completed 2 pain free days of exercises.
- You should not feel any pain during the exercises. If you do feel pain, decrease the range of movement by stopping before you get to the point of pain. Continue the exercise within the pain free range.
- If you cannot find a comfortable, pain free way to do these exercises, discontinue immediately and seek the advice of a health care professional.
- Do the exercises a minimum of 3 times a day and 10 reps per set for best results.
This last video goes over correct form and some common mistakes.