SHOULDER REHABILITATION

What is shoulder rehabilitation?

Shoulder rehabilitation consists of a conditioning programme to help strengthen the shoulder after a serious sports injury, degenerative disease or traumatic accident. A complete, carefully planned shoulder rehabilitation programme is designed to promote flexible and pain-free shoulder movements to continue enjoying life as you once did. Fortunately, a well-structured rehabilitation program consisting of coordinated exercises and physiotherapy can help you live a better lifestyle.

What does shoulder conditioning aim to do?

Shoulder rehabilitation aims to increase muscle strength and flexibility of the shoulder and strives for a better range of motion. Stretching the muscles that are targeted during specific exercises is particularly important for improving the shoulder’s range of motion and minimising the risk of injury.

A variety of muscle groups in the shoulder are targeted during a concise rehabilitation program such as:

• The deltoids are muscles that transverse the back and front of the shoulder.
• The trapezius muscle is an expansive, flat muscle that travels from the neck to the thoracic area. This particular muscle is triangular in shape and begins at the stem of the neck and ends at the centre of the back.
• The rhomboid muscles lie in the upper back and assist with the cohesive movement of the scapula and shoulder girdle.
• The teres muscles are dense muscles that make up the shoulder joint.
• The supraspinatus muscle is located on the upper portion of the shoulder joint, which helps reinforce the strength of the joint, especially for lifting the arm.
• The infraspinatus muscle, a triangular-shaped muscle, forms most of the Infraspinous Fossa at the back of the scapula.
• The biceps muscle can be found at the front of the upper arm, and the triceps muscle is located at the back of the upper arm.

Various types of shoulder exercises reinforce the shoulder’s strength and stability. For example, Dr van Niekerk will refer you to a physiotherapist to engage in pendulum exercises, isometric shoulder exercises, mobility exercises and exercises to increase scapular stabilisation.