Chiropractor Chandler AZ

Scapular Stabilization Exercises

Basement: Basic exercises to strengthen your shoulders and restore range of motion.

Posture: Start by facing a full-length mirror with your arms relaxed at your sides. Look at your hands. If you can see the backs of your hands in the mirror, it means that your shoulders are internally rotated. Pull your shoulders down and back until your thumbs are facing forward. This is the correct position for the shoulders. Now pull your chin back (think about making a double chin) until your ears are in line with the middle of each shoulder. This is the correct position for the neck.

Neutral Pelvis: Stand in a relaxed position. You should feel tall: imagine a string pulling you upwards by the top of your head. Make sure that your shoulders are down and pulled back (see posture). Gently rock your pelvis backwards and forwards. Think about pushing your belly button to the back, and then pulling it all the way forward. Neutral pelvis is in the middle.

Packing Your Scapulae: Have your significant other or a friend help you with this exercise. Stand tall with your shoulders down and pulled back. Ask your helper to put his or her hands on your shoulder blades. The inside edges of your shoulder blades should be parallel to each other and a couple of inches apart. If you tend to have rounded shoulders, you may notice that your shoulder blades stand out from your back (“winging”) or that the bottoms of the shoulder blades are further apart than the tops (upwardly rotated). Practice “packing your scapulae” until the shoulder blades are in the proper position.

Lower Back to the Wall: Stand with your back and head against a wall. Your arms should be relaxed by your sides. Your legs should be straight, and your feet pointed forward, with your heels about three inches in front of the wall. Using your lower abdominal muscles, push your lower back into the wall. Hold for three seconds, rest and repeat ten times. To make this exercise more challenging, try doing it with your arms above your head.

Doorway Stretch: Stand in a doorway with your feet in a semi-tandem position. Your hands should rest against the doorframe at about shoulder height. Gently lean forward. You should feel a nice stretch through the chest and front part of the shoulders (anterior capsule). Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, rest for ten seconds and repeat for 30 seconds.

Shoulder Stretch: Straighten your left arm (be careful not to lock out your elbow) and hold your arm across your chest. Slide your right hand under the arm and grab the back of your left shoulder. Gently pull forward and hold for 15 seconds. Perform the same stretch on the opposite side. Repeat on each side two times.

Reach Up: Grab your hands above your head. Keeping your hands above your head, bend sideways to the right side and hold for 15 seconds, come back up to center and then bend to the left side and hold for fifteen seconds. Come back to center and repeat the sequence.

Triceps Stretch: Start by grabbing each elbow with the opposite hand, so your forearms are crossed. Raise both arms above your head. Drop your left hand behind your head and rest it on your shoulder. You should feel a gentle stretch in the back of your upper arm. Raise the left hand back up and grab the elbow. Now lower your right hand behind your head and rest it on the shoulder. Hold each stretch for 15 seconds and repeat twice.

Golf Club Twist: You can do this exercise with a golf club or dowel rod. Grab one end in each hand, raise the golf club over your head and rest it behind your head on the tops of your shoulders. Keeping your arms straight, twist to the left and hold for three seconds, then come back to center and twist to the right. Twist to each side ten times for a set.

Thoracic Twist: Start out facing a wall standing about two feet away. Extend your left hand forward and up so that your hand is resting against the wall and level with your head. Round your back. Twist to the left and reach under your left hand with your right arm. Come back to center, then twist in the opposite direction, reaching towards the ceiling with your right hand. Repeat this motion a total of ten times on each side.

Chest Stretch: You can do this stretch seated on a bench, the side of your bed or standing. With your arms straight (but elbows not locked out), grab your hands behind your back. Slowly raise your arms up until you feel a good stretch through your chest. To push the stretch further, lean forward as you pull your arms back and up.

I, T, Y and W: Do these exercises lying face down on the floor. Start with your arms by your sides, with your palms facing up and your thumbs next to your body. This is the I position. Lift your hands off the floor and pull them back slightly. Be careful when you do this exercise not to let your shoulders hunch. Hold your hands off the floor for three seconds and relax. Repeat a total of ten times for a set.

Now position your arms straight out to your sides with your palms facing down. This is the T position. Keeping your arms straight, lift your hands off the floor for three seconds. Lower your hands back down and repeat a total of ten times for a set.

Keeping your arms straight, raise them towards your head into the Y position. Remember to keep your shoulders down and pulled back. Raise your hands off the ground, hold for three seconds and lower them back down. Repeat a total of ten times for a set.

Now pull your elbows in towards your sides, and push them back out again until your arms are back in the Y position. Repeat this W a total of ten times.

External Rotation: You can do this exercise seated or standing. Grab either end of a piece of TheraBand. Your elbows should be by your sides and your hands close together in front of you. Keeping your elbows by your sides, pull the ends of the TheraBand apart. Hold for three seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat a total of ten times for a set.

Straight Arm Cable Pull: Tie the middle of a cable to a railing or doorknob. Grab one cable handle in each hand. You should be facing the railing with minimal tension on the cable with your arms relaxed at your sides. Keeping your arms straight and close to your body, pull the cable handles straight back, hold for three seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat a total of ten times for a set.

Cable Row: Grab one handle of the cable in each hand, facing the railing or doorknob. Your arms should be by your sides with your elbows bent. Pull your elbows straight back, thinking about keeping your shoulders down and pinching your shoulder blades together. Hold this position for three seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat a total of ten times for a set.

Reverse Cable Row: Stand with your back to the railing, and grab a cable handle in each hand. Your elbows should be bent. Push your hands straight forward from your chest, making sure to keep your shoulders down and pulled back. Hold this position for three seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat a total of ten times for a set.

Vertical Chop: Do this exercise standing, with your feet shoulder width apart. Grab a ball in both hands (you can use a dumbell or weighted medicine ball to make this more challenging). Lift the ball straight up over your head, being careful not to hunch your shoulders. Now lower the ball down towards the ground keeping your arms straight and bending your knees. Your back should be straight. Repeat a total of ten times for a set.

Rotations: Do this exercise standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Grab the ball in both hands, keeping in close to your body with your elbows bent. Twist to the left letting your right heel come off the ground, then come back to center and twist to the right, letting your left heel come off the ground. Repeat a total of ten times for a set.

Diagonal Chops: Start by grabbing the ball in both hands, while standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Twist to the left, letting your right heel come off the ground while at the same time raising the ball up above the left shoulder. Come back to center and twist to the right while lowering the ball down towards the right hips. Your left heel can come off the ground. Repeat this motion ten times on each side for a set.

Flexbar Shake and Twist: You can do this exercise seated or standing. Grab a FlexBar in your right hand. Your elbow should be away from the body, a little higher than waist height and your hand holding the FlexBar should be shoulder height. Shake the Flexbar back and forth, while at the same time twisting at the waist to the left and right. Keep moving for sixty seconds, change hands and repeat on the other side. To make this exercise more challenging, try it seated on a rubber disk or an exercise ball.

Dead Bug: Start by lying on your back on a mat or firm mattress. Bend your knees and lift your legs off the floor so that the knees remain bent and your lower legs are parallel to the ground. If this position is uncomfortable for you, try it with your feet resting against a wall. In this case, you will be doing the arm part of the exercise only. Raise your arms up so that they are extended to the ceiling with your hands in front of your chest. Keeping your arms straight, lower the right arm back and towards the ground (above your head), while at the same time straightening the left leg out and lowering it towards the ground. Stop before your hand and foot touch the ground, return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg. Lower each arm and leg ten times for one set.

Glute Bridge: Lie on your back on a mat or mattress with your knees bent and feet on the ground. Your feet should be shoulder width apart and your arms relaxed and by your sides. Raise your hips up off the ground to “tabletop” position (don’t arch your back), hold for three seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat a total of ten times for a set. To make this exercise more challenging, start with your feet and knees together rather than shoulder width apart.

Doorway Touch: Stand about a foot back from a doorway with your feet in a semi-tandem position. Twist and extend your right hand to touch the left side of the door frame. Then twist the other way and extend your left hand to touch the right side of the door frame. Each hand should touch the door frame ten times for a set.

Lat Side Raise: You can do this exercise seated or standing. Grab a light weight in either hand (if you don’t have weights at home you can use soda cans or small water bottles. Start with your arms relaxed at your sides. Keeping your arms straight but elbows not locked out, raise your hands up until your arms form a ninety-degree angle with the floor. Hold this position for three seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat a total of ten times for a set.

Forward Raise: Start in the same position as for the side raise, but in this case, the backs of your hands will be facing forward. Keeping your arms straight, raise your hands up and forwards until they are at chest level. Be careful not to hunch your shoulders. Lower your hands back down to the starting position and repeat a total of ten times for a set.