When we talk about shoulder rehabilitation we refer to what in medical technical terms is called scapulo-humeral articulation, formed by the humeral capsule inserted in the glenoid cavity, held together by the joint capsule, the tendons of the muscles and the ligaments proper.
Physiotherapeutic rehabilitation of the shoulder is necessary after surgical interventions or after the reduction of dislocations or subluxations.
Generally this occurs after accidents (especially falls, such as from a horse, bicycle or motorcycle) or sports injuries (gymnastics, martial arts, rugby or football in the case of the goalkeeper).
Pain and reduced movement are the consequences of shoulder problems: wear and tear of the rotator cuff, overtraining, accidents. As with all joints, the rule of good maintenance also applies to the shoulder : regular exercise, a good musculature that supports the joint, medical checks for persistent pain or loss of mobility.
The degeneration of the tissues of the shoulder goes hand in hand with advancing age, therefore exceeded the "door" is good to avoid excessive efforts, jobs that overlap the shoulder (loading and unloading), and to pay maximum attention to the correctness he exercises in gym, especially regarding weight lifting.
Persistent pains during rest, muscle pains during shoulder movements even without over-exertion, loss of strength in the act of lifting, a feeling of friction between the parts that make up the shoulder joint are always suspect symptoms.
Some shoulder rehabilitation techniques
When it comes to rehabilitating the shoulder, we have to work on various muscles : deltoid, trapezius, rhomboid, supraspinatus, sub-spinous, subscapular, biceps and triceps.
We will work on strengthening and recovering flexibility.
> During the first exercise we will rest the hand of the shoulder that should not work on a horizontal surface, as a table might be. The other arm will dertivalally from the shoulder and, in this relaxed condition, we will make it hang forward and back and we will rotate it in both directions. Excellent exercise for various shoulder muscles that can be repeated several times a day.
> To make the posterior deltoid gain mobility and flexibility, we can perform a simple but effective rather common stretching exercise. Keeping the shoulder relaxed, we will extend the arm horizontally over the opposite shoulder, in front of the chest, stretching it as much as possible and helping it with the other arm to implement the stretch or to support the possibly still weak arm.
> Here is a good exercise for subscapolar muscles . In this case we would need an instrument, a light stick will be fine but we can also use a towel. We will hold the stick with both hands behind the back, at the level of the buttocks, and we will slide it slowly swinging from side to side alternately stretching both shoulders. Hold the stretching position for at least 30 seconds.
> We can also use the stick or towel for another exercise, this time aimed at making the muscle work under the spinal . We will hold the stick in front of us, keeping the elbows bent at 90 degrees and close to the ribs. From this position we will move the stick, taking care that it remains parallel to the ground and that the elbows do not detach from the body, from one side to the other, until the maximum degree of stretching is reached without reaching the point of experiencing pain. If possible, also in this case the stretch position should be maintained for at least 30 seconds.
> If we have the possibility of going to the gym or using elastic bands, an ideal exercise for the trapeze consists in gripping the elastics with both hands, keeping the elbows bent at 90 degrees near the body with the forearms parallel to the ground, and slowly pull back, meeting the resistance of the elastic and making the shoulder muscles work. Using this basic position we can rotate the shoulders upwards as long as the elbows, always bent at 90 degrees, do not reach shoulder height. At this point we will raise the forearms by rotating the elbows and work the important sub-spinal muscles.
