Shoulder pain can really slow someone down, and when stiffness or tightness is involved people can have a difficult time with their every day activities. Here are some simple stretches to get your shoulder loosened up. They can be used if you have been diagnosed with shoulder tendonitis, bursitis, adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder, shoulder impingement, or if you are recovering from a surgery.
The first stretches are called pendulums. Use a chair or counter top, and lean over so your arm hangs down towards the ground. Move your body, not your arm in circles so your arm swings around like a pendulum. You can also rock front to back and side to side. Add a small weight in your hand to open up the joint space while doing these stretches. The next stretches you will need to use a table or counter top. This is an active assisted stretch, which means you are moving the arm now, but the table will support the weight. You will slide your arm forward and lean your body forward until you feel a stretch. You can also move it at an angle and circles.
Finally, you can use a wall to stretch your shoulder. Again, the wall will support your arm while you move it. You can slide it upward and lean into the wall until you feel a stretch, and then you can try circles as well. Then you can turn sideways to get your abduction stretch.
