Upper Extremity Exercise: Shoulder Exercises Using a Stick
These instructions are for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) patients to improve range of motion in the shoulder.
Patient instructions:
Your therapist will tell you how long to hold each exercise, how many times you should repeat each one, and how many times you should perform the exercises each day. You will need a broomstick, hockey stick, or wooden dowel for these exercises.
Overhead raises
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Stand, sit or lie down. Hold the stick with both hands. Place your hands shoulder-width apart. Raise the stick as far overhead as possible, towards the sky. If you are lying down, touch the back of the pillow.
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Shoulder touch
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Hold the stick with both hands behind your head. Bend your arms to touch the back of your shoulders with the stick.
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Side-to-side arm sweeps
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Hold the stick with both hands and sweep up and out to both sides of your body.
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Bent elbow raise
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Hold the stick behind your back with both hands. Bend your elbows and try to lift the stick towards your shoulder blades.
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Straight elbow raise
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Hold the stick behind your back with both hands. Keep your elbows straight and push the stick back and away from your body.
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Reviewed on January 16, 2023, by Sue Ellen Shelak, OTR/L