Assisted Shoulder Flexion with Wand

Assisted Shoulder Flexion with Wand

Purpose: Restore shoulder flexion (raising the arm overhead) with assistance to protect healing tissues.

Equipment: Dowel/wand, broomstick, or cane.

How to do it:
1) Lie on your back or sit upright. Hold the wand with both hands, palms down.
2) Use the non-surgical arm to help lift the surgical arm upward.
3) Raise until you feel a gentle stretch (not sharp pain), then pause 1–2 seconds.
4) Lower slowly back to the start.

Tips:
- Keep the shoulder blade gently set (avoid shrugging).
- Start in a smaller range if you feel pinching.

Dosage: 3 sets of 10 reps (or seconds/holds if that is how your therapist prescribed it). Rest 30–60 seconds between sets.

Progression:
- Move from lying to sitting/standing as strength improves.
- Reduce assistance gradually as cleared.

Comfort and safety:
Move slowly and stay in a comfortable range. A mild stretch or light muscle fatigue is okay; sharp pain is not.
Stop and contact your care team if you notice increasing swelling, redness, warmth, drainage, fever, or new/worsening numbness/tingling.
Follow any post-op precautions, lifting limits, and motion restrictions given by your surgeon or therapist.