தமிழ்हिन्दीతెలుగుಕನ್ನಡമലയാളംEnglish

💪 Shoulder · தோள்பட்டை

Shoulder exercises: 6 home rehab exercises with Tamil names, doses and steps

Frozen shoulder is common in India, especially in people with diabetes, and rotator cuff pain follows years of overhead work, cricket and two-wheeler riding. Both respond to a patient, daily programme: first restoring movement with gravity and the good arm doing the work, then strengthening the small muscles that hold the ball in the socket. These six exercises cover that sequence. Your physio decides when to move from the mobility ones to the strengthening ones.

In short: The most useful shoulder exercises at home are pendulum swings, wand-assisted flexion, wall climbs, band external rotation, scapular squeezes and the towel internal-rotation stretch. Mobility comes first for frozen shoulder and painful shoulders; rotator cuff strengthening follows. Do range-of-motion work 2–3 times a day and strengthening once a day.

Used for

  • Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
  • Rotator cuff tendinopathy or partial tear
  • Impingement
  • After proximal humerus fracture
  • After dislocation (once cleared)
  • Cricket and overhead sports shoulder

The 6 exercises on this page

  1. Pendulum swing · ஊசல் பயிற்சி · 2 min
  2. Wand-assisted flexion · குச்சி உதவியுடன் கை உயர்த்துதல் · 2×10
  3. Wall climb (finger walk) · சுவர் ஏறுதல் · 2×10
  4. External rotation with band · பேண்ட் வெளிப்புற சுழற்சி · 3×12
  5. Scapular squeeze · தோள்பட்டை எலும்பு இறுக்கம் · 3×10
  6. Towel internal rotation stretch · துண்டு உள்புற சுழற்சி நீட்சி · 3×30 s

How to perform each exercise

Dose shown is a common starting point; your physiotherapist sets yours. Inside Physio Clinic Software these exercises go to patients on WhatsApp with a daily check-in in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, English. Recorded videos are planned; clinics can link their own video to any exercise today.

Exercise 1 · Standing

Pendulum swing · ஊசல் பயிற்சி

2 min6 languages

The classic first exercise for a painful or frozen shoulder. Letting the arm hang and swing uses gravity to open the joint gently without the muscles having to work, which keeps pain low.

How to perform it

  1. Bend forward and rest your good hand on a table; let the painful arm hang loose.
  2. Swing the body gently so the arm moves forward and back like a pendulum.
  3. Change to side-to-side, then small circles each way.
  4. Keep the shoulder muscles relaxed; the trunk does the work.
Take care

Hold a half-kilo weight only if your physio says so; it is for traction, not strength.

Exercise 2 · Lying

Wand-assisted flexion · குச்சி உதவியுடன் கை உயர்த்துதல்

2×106 languages

A stick, umbrella or walking cane lets the good arm lift the stiff one overhead, so the painful shoulder gains range while staying relaxed. Lying down removes the pull of gravity.

How to perform it

  1. Lie on your back holding a stick in both hands, palms down, hands shoulder-width apart.
  2. Push with the good arm to raise both arms overhead.
  3. Go to the point of stretch, not sharp pain; hold 5 seconds.
  4. Lower slowly to the thighs.
Take care

Keep the elbows straight; progress to sitting and standing as range improves.

Exercise 3 · Standing

Wall climb (finger walk) · சுவர் ஏறுதல்

2×106 languages

Walking the fingers up a wall is an easy way to measure and improve forward and side reach at home. Mark the height each week so you and your physio can see progress.

How to perform it

  1. Stand facing a wall an arm's length away, fingertips touching it at waist height.
  2. Walk the fingers up the wall slowly as far as comfortable.
  3. Hold 5 seconds at the top and note the height.
  4. Walk back down; do not let the arm drop.
Take care

Turn side-on to the wall for abduction once forward reach passes 120°.

Exercise 4 · Standing

External rotation with band · பேண்ட் வெளிப்புற சுழற்சி

3×126 languages

Strengthens the rotator cuff, the small muscles that hold the ball in the socket. Weak external rotators are behind most impingement and cricket-bowler shoulder pain.

How to perform it

  1. Tie a band to a door handle at elbow height; stand side-on with the elbow bent 90° and tucked to your side (a rolled towel under the arm helps).
  2. Rotate the forearm outward against the band, keeping the elbow pinned.
  3. Hold 2 seconds.
  4. Return slowly towards the stomach.
Take care

Choose a band you can control for all 12 reps; shrugging means it is too strong.

Exercise 5 · Sitting

Scapular squeeze · தோள்பட்டை எலும்பு இறுக்கம்

3×106 languages

Retrains the muscles between the shoulder blades that round forward with desk work and after injury. A stable shoulder blade is the base for every overhead movement.

How to perform it

  1. Sit or stand tall with arms by your sides.
  2. Draw both shoulder blades back and down, as if holding a pencil between them.
  3. Hold 5 seconds without lifting the shoulders.
  4. Release slowly.
Take care

Do a set every hour at the desk; pair with chin tucks if you also have neck pain.

Exercise 6 · Standing

Towel internal rotation stretch · துண்டு உள்புற சுழற்சி நீட்சி

3×30 s6 languages

Restores the ability to reach behind the back, the last movement to return in frozen shoulder and the one needed for a bra strap, a shirt tuck or a back pocket.

How to perform it

  1. Hold a towel behind the back: good hand over the shoulder, stiff hand behind the waist.
  2. Pull gently upward with the good hand so the stiff hand slides up the back.
  3. Hold 30 seconds at a firm stretch.
  4. Release slowly.
Take care

Stretch into tightness, not sharp pain; frozen shoulder responds to patience, not force.

How to progress shoulder exercises, phase by phase

A shoulder programme is not one fixed list. The same 6 exercises are introduced in stages, and the dose rises only when the current stage is easy and pain settles within 24 hours. This is the usual order a physiotherapist follows:

PhaseGoalTypical exercises
Painful phaseKeep the joint moving without flaring painPendulum swing, wand-assisted flexion lying down, scapular squeeze
Stiff phaseRegain overhead reach and reaching behind the backWall climb, wand flexion in sitting, towel internal-rotation stretch
Strengthening phaseControl the ball in the socket for overhead work and sportExternal rotation with band, banded scapular squeeze, graded overhead lifting

Frozen shoulder moves through these phases over 12–24 months. Rotator cuff tendinopathy and impingement programmes usually start in the stiff phase and reach strengthening within 4–6 weeks.

How often, and how hard?

As a rule of thumb, mobility and range-of-motion exercises are done little and often (2–4 short sessions a day), while strengthening is done once a day or on alternate days with full sets. Mild discomfort up to 3–4 out of 10 that settles by the next morning is acceptable; sharper pain, new swelling or pain that spreads means drop back a phase and tell your physiotherapist.

What this looks like on the patient's WhatsApp

With Physio Clinic Software, the physio picks these exercises, sets the dose and the language once. Each morning the patient gets the plan with a link to the steps (and the clinic's own video, if added); they tap Done and reply with a pain score. The therapist sees adherence and pain trend on the chart, and the referring doctor gets a one-page progress letter at week 6.

  • No app to install; works on any phone with WhatsApp
  • English and Tamil exercise names; greeting and check-in line in the patient's language
  • Printable A4 sheet with a QR code for patients who prefer paper
  • Daily pain score shown beside adherence on the chart (automatic high-pain alerts are planned)
Try free for 30 daysPhysio Clinic Software for clinics

Sample data: illustrative WhatsApp conversation.

Shoulder exercise questions

How long does frozen shoulder take to recover?

Typically 12–24 months in three phases: freezing (painful), frozen (stiff) and thawing. Exercise should match the phase: pendulums and wand work when painful, more stretching once pain settles. People with diabetes often need longer; a daily plan done consistently matters most.

Should I exercise a rotator cuff tear?

Most partial tears and tendinopathy improve with a graded strengthening programme over about 12 weeks. Full-thickness tears in younger, active people may need surgery. A physio assessment with special tests and, if needed, an ultrasound or MRI decides.

How often should I do shoulder exercises?

Range-of-motion exercises 2–3 times daily; strengthening once a day or on alternate days. Soreness that settles within 24 hours is acceptable. Sharper pain that lasts means reduce the load and tell your physio.

Can I do these after a shoulder fracture or dislocation?

Only once the orthopaedic surgeon clears movement, usually 2–6 weeks after a dislocation and once a fracture is stable. Avoid external rotation combined with the arm out to the side early after an anterior dislocation.

Will posture exercises help my shoulder?

Often, yes. Rounded shoulders narrow the space under the acromion where the cuff tendons run. Scapular squeezes and chin tucks repeated through the work day reduce impingement symptoms in desk workers.

Other body regions

🦵 Knee · முழங்கால்

ACL, knee replacement, meniscus, patellofemoral pain, osteoarthritis

🧘 Back · முதுகு

Low back pain, disc prolapse, sciatica, postpartum, spinal stenosis

🙆 Neck · கழுத்து

Mechanical neck pain, cervical spondylosis, tech neck, headaches

🦶 Ankle · கணுக்கால்

Ankle sprain, after cast or fracture, Achilles, plantar fasciitis, balance

🏃 Hip · இடுப்பு

Hip replacement, gluteal weakness, bursitis, piriformis, older adults

← Back to the full exercise library · Why patients stop doing home exercises, and what fixes it · Home exercise program app for physiotherapists

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