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HOW TO EXERCISE A PAINFUL SHOULDER

When you have a painful bursitis or tendonitis of the shoulder, the last thing you want to do is move it--it really hurts! Initially, you need to rest it, preferably with a shoulder immobilizer. But after the initial acute period, if you don't move it at all, you can develop a chronically stiff shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) that is as painful as it is disabling. What to do?

Use gravity as your ally. These are called pendulum exercises, because they recall the movement of a grandfather clock pendulum.

1. Bend forward from the waist, so your body is parallel to the floor. The more you bend, the more effective the exercises.

2. In this position, slowly begin to rotate your arm in a clockwise rotation, from the shoulder..

3. With each rotation, gradually allow the circles to become larger and larger.

4. After about 20 repetitions in the clock-wise direction, reverse direction and begin to rotate from the shoulder in the counter-clockwise direction.

Used in conjunction with appropriate rest, anti-inflammatory medications and local heat applications, they can prevent adhesions and stiffness and help relieve pain.