23 PT-Approved Rotator Cuff Mobility Exercises and Stretches

Do you have pain or stiffness in your shoulder that interferes with your daily activities? You can't reach into the cupboard or lift your arm to put on a shirt. These limitations can be frustrating and affect your quality of life. One of the best ways to improve shoulder function and alleviate discomfort is to focus on rotator cuff mobility. This article will discuss rotator cuff mobility exercises, their value, and how to get started to help you regain full shoulder mobility and strength. With consistent practice, you can perform daily activities and physical tasks without pain or limitation.

Pliability's mobility app can help you achieve your goals with personalized programs that increase rotator cuff mobility and relieve pain. Physical therapists build their rotator cuff recovery routines, and the app comes with easy-to-follow instructions so you can get started today. 

What is the Rotator Cuff? & Its Importance

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and their tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint. It plays a crucial role in everyday activities like:
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• Lifting
• Reaching
• Rotating the arm
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This group of muscles also allows for a wide range of arm movements. The rotator cuff stabilizes the shoulder joint, preventing injuries.  

Functions of The Rotator Cuff Muscles  

Your rotator cuff muscles work in tandem to execute various upper extremity movements, including:
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• Flexion
• Abduction
• Internal rotation
• External rotation
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These muscles play an essential role in shoulder-related movements, providing stability to the shoulder joint and keeping the head of the humerus within the small glenoid fossa of the scapula. Dysfunction of the rotator cuff can lead to pain, discomfort, and reduced functional capacities and may negatively impact your activities of daily living and quality of life.  

What is a Rotator Cuff Injury?  

As you age, your rotator cuff muscles may show signs of degeneration, impingement, and tears. Poor biomechanics or postural dysfunctions can lead to repetitive strains and stress on the rotator cuff, resulting in injuries such as:  

Rotator Cuff Tear

These can be partial or full-thickness tears in the muscles and tendons, with the most common tear involving the supraspinatus muscle. Rotator cuff tears are the leading cause of shoulder instability and pain. Repetitive micro-traumas, degenerative changes, or traumatic injuries can cause them.  

Rotator Cuff Tendinitis (or Tendinopathy)

This is an acute inflammation or degeneration of the rotator cuff tissue caused by:
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• Awkward postures
• Heavy work
• Repetitive arm movements
• Direct load-bearing
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You may be at risk of developing tendinitis if you are overweight, have decreased flexibility, suffer from diabetes or adiposity, or are older.  

Impingement Syndrome

Also known as subacromial pain syndrome, this condition is classified into four categories. Suppose you are less than 25 years old and have suffered from an overuse injury with moderate pain during exercise and no loss of strength or movement limitation. In that case, you may be suffering from Type I impingement syndrome. Type II subacromial impingement is usually seen in the 25 to 40-year-old age group, with pain during daily activities, especially at night. 

There could be loss of mobility, fibrotic changes in the tissues, and irreversible tendon changes. Type III impingement syndrome is usually seen if you are more than 40 years old and have a small rotator cuff tear, and Type IV if you are above the age of 40 years and have a large rotator cuff tear. A traumatic injury, such as falling onto your arm, can also cause injury. Regardless of how it happens, the risk of a rotator cuff tear increases as we age and the wear on our bodies accumulates.  

What are The Common Symptoms of Rotator Cuff Injury?  

Having a rotator cuff injury can cause an array of symptoms. Below are some of the most common symptoms you will experience if you have a rotator cuff injury.  

Pain

This may be localized to the lateral or anterior aspect of your shoulder and associated with referred pain down the lateral aspect of your upper arm.  

Painful Range of Motion

You may suffer from painful external rotation, internal rotation, and abduction. In addition, you may experience a painful arch above shoulder height.  

Muscle Weakness

This is felt especially when abducting the arm or with external shoulder rotation.  

Functional Impairments

These may include difficulty pushing, lifting, overhead movements, and internal rotation of the shoulder, e.g., movements of the hands behind the back.

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Can the Rotator Cuff Be Fixed with Exercise?

Targeted physical therapy exercises often help minor rotator cuff injuries and weaknesses improve. While rotator cuff exercises can strengthen and improve mobility, more severe tears may require medical intervention or surgery for complete recovery. 

Rotator cuff exercises to improve shoulder mobility should begin as soon as pain allows. You aim to restore full, pain-free mobility to your shoulder joint. In some patients, mobility could already be good, but this will depend on how bad the injury is.  

Conditioning Exercises Help Heal Rotator Cuff Injuries  

Suppose you are suffering from any of the rotator mentioned above cuff injuries. In that case, conditioning exercises will help you heal and strengthen the muscles, improve flexibility, and return to your activities of daily living. The muscles targeted in the conditioning exercises are the following:
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• Deltoids
• Trapezius
• Rhomboids
• Teres
• Supraspinatus
• Infraspinatus
• Subscapularis
• Biceps
• Triceps 

How to Get Started with Rotator Cuff Exercises  

You should do mobility exercises at least once a day and sometimes two or three times. If any of the exercises are painful, do not do them. Stay within the pain-free range of movement.  

Pliability: Enhancing Your Fitness and Mobility

If you're feeling limited by pain or your ability to move, Pliability aims to:
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• Complement your existing fitness routine 
• Help you move better
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Sign up today for seven days free on iPhone, iPad, Android, or our website to use our mobility app to improve flexibility, aid recovery, reduce pain, and enhance range of motion.

24 PT-Approved Rotator Cuff Mobility Exercises and Stretches

1. Doorway Stretch  

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• Warm up your muscles by standing in an open doorway and spreading your arms to the side. 
• Grip the sides of the doorway with each hand at or below shoulder height, and lean forward through the doorway until you feel a light stretch. 
• Keep a straight back as you lean and shift your weight onto your toes. You should feel a stretch in the front of your shoulder. Refrain from overstretching. 
• Repeat three times, holding for 15-30 seconds, three times daily.

2. Side-lying External Rotation  

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• Lie down on the side opposite your injured arm. 
• Bend the elbow of your injured arm to 90 degrees and rest the elbow on your side. Your forearm should rest across your abdomen. 
• Hold a light dumbbell in the injured side’s hand and, keeping your elbow against your side, slowly raise the dumbbell toward the ceiling. Stop rotating your arm if you feel the strain. 
• Hold the dumbbell up for a few seconds before returning to the start position with your arm down. 
• Repeat three sets of 10 once a day. 
• When a set of 10 becomes easy, increase reps to 15.

3. High-to-Low Rows  

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• Attach a resistance band to something sturdy at or above shoulder height. Be sure it is secure so it doesn’t come loose when you pull on it. 
• Get down on one knee to raise the knee opposite your injured arm. Your body and lowered knee should be aligned. 
• Rest your other hand on your raised knee. 
• Holding the band securely with your arm outstretched, pull your elbow toward your body. 
• Keep your back straight and squeeze your shoulder blades together and down as you pull. Your body should not move or twist with your arm. 
• Return to start and repeat three sets of 10.

4. Reverse Fly  

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• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. 
• Keep your back straight and bend forward slightly at the waist. 
• With a light weight in each hand, extend your arms and raise them away from your body. 
• Do not lock your elbow. 
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you do so. Do not raise your arms above shoulder height. 
• Return to start and repeat three sets of 10.

5. Lawnmower Pull  

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• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. 
• Place one end of a resistance band under the foot opposite your injured arm. 
• Hold the other end with the injured arm so the band goes diagonally across your body. 
• Keeping your other hand on your hip and without locking your knees, bend slightly at the waist so the hand holding the band is parallel to the opposite knee. 
• As if starting a lawn mower in slow motion, straighten upright while pulling your elbow across the body to your outside ribs. 
• Keep your shoulders relaxed, and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you stand. 
• Repeat three sets of 10.

6. Arm Reach  

To do an arm reach, a person should do the following: 
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• Lie flat on the back, extend the arms and legs, and engage the abdominal muscles. 
• Reach one arm toward the ceiling, lifting it until the shoulder blade comes off the floor. 
• Hold for 5 seconds. 
• Return the arm to the floor. 
• Repeat on the other side.

7. Lying Down External Rotation  

A person can follow these steps to do this exercise: 
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• Lie on the side of the body on a firm surface, holding a lightweight in the upper hand. 
• Bend the top elbow to 90 degrees, keeping the upper arm against the side of the body and letting the weighted hand rest toward the floor in front of the body. 
• Keeping the elbow against the side of the body, rotate the arm at the shoulder, bringing the weight toward the ceiling. 
• Slowly lower the weighted arm back to the starting position. 
• Repeat on the other side of the body. 
• Place a small towel roll in the armpit while doing this exercise to reduce stress on the shoulder joint.

8. Pendulum  

The pendulum exercise involves the steps below: 
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• Lean forward with one arm hanging freely. 
• Use the other arm to brace against a chair for support. 
• Gently swing the hanging arm from side to side, forward and back, and in a circular motion. 
• Slowly return to a standing position. 
• Repeat on the other side.

9. Crossover Arm Stretch  

The crossover arm stretch involves the steps below: 
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• Lift one arm perpendicular to the floor and extend it straight without locking it. 
• Take the wrist of the extended, lifted arm with the opposite hand. 
• Gently pull the arm across the front of the body, trying to hug the chest with the arm. 
• Hold the stretch for 5 seconds before slowly releasing it. 
• Repeat on the other side.

10. Lawnmower  

To do a lawnmower pull, a person should: 
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• Place one foot slightly forward so the feet are shoulder-width apart, and hold a light weight in one hand. 
• Keep the hand not holding the weight on the hip, lean slightly forward, and bend at the knees so the weight is parallel to the opposite knee. 
• Like starting a lawnmower, pull the elbow of the arm with the weight back across the body. 
• Return slowly to the start position. 
• Repeat, working up to 2–3 sets of 8–10 repetitions. 
• Repeat on the other side.

11. Two Arm Wall Stretch  

People can perform this stretch by doing the following: 
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• Stand up straight with the back against a wall. 
• Raise each arm sideways into an L-shape with the upper arms parallel to the floor, keeping the arms as flat against the wall as possible. 
• Maintaining the elbow bend, move the arms up the wall to bring the hands closer together, then move them back down. 
• Return to a resting position.

12. Pole/Wand Exercises  

A long object, such as a pole or broom handle, can assist the weak shoulder. 

Teaching point: 
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• Hold it just wider than shoulder-width. 
• Use your good arm to move the injured shoulder as comfortably as you can, and stop if it is painful.
• Try to relax the injured arm, so it is not working. 
• This exercise can be done in several different positions. 
• Repeat several times a day, trying to gradually increase the range

13. Standing 90/90 External Rotation  

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• The resistance band is anchored in front, and the other end is held in the hand, with the arm raised and elbow bent as shown. 
• The athlete rotates the arm so that the first points upwards. 
• They then slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

14. Standing 90/90 Internal Rotation  

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• The athlete rotates the arm so the forearm moves forward to a horizontal position.
•  They then slowly return to the starting position. 
• As strength develops, the supporting hand can be removed.

15. Diagonal Plane Exercises  

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• The athlete holds one end of a resistance band, starting with the arm raised to the side above shoulder height.
• The arm is pulled down across the body so that the hand reaches the other hip. 
• The athlete must maintain joint stability.

16. Ball Throwing  

Many sports involve throwing a ball (e.g., baseball, cricket) or using a racket (tennis, badminton, squash). Rehabilitation of a shoulder injury in these sports players should include throwing drills. This allows you to start at a very low level, gradually build up the speed, and force you to use until you are at full match level. 

How to do it:  
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• Start by throwing a small, light ball (such as a tennis ball) and underarms against a wall (or with a partner if you’re lucky!) 
• Begin very gently and increase the speed and force (and so distance) you throw with Progress to using a heavier ball such as a netball 
• Go back to a tennis ball and start overhead throws 
• Start gently, close to the wall, and increase distance and force 
• Use both hands together initially if you want 
• Progress gradually (over several sessions) to a heavier ball, single-handed, at full power

17. Wall Slides  

This exercise can help you perform a lot of overhead movements. “Using the wall helps control muscle tension in your back and shoulders, and lifting your arm straight out in front of you gives some feedback to the surrounding tissue,” explains Dr. Clark. 

How to do it: 
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• Stand with your forearms on a wall at shoulder height and your fingers pointing up. 
• Slide your forearms toward the ceiling and gently push your forearms into the wall. 
• Hold at the top, gently pushing into the wall, and then return to the starting position.

18. Scapular Squeeze  

This move strengthens the muscles in your upper back and shoulders, helping to reduce and prevent pain flares. It can be particularly helpful if you do activities that involve a lot of sitting or standing. 

How to do it: 
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• Stand with your elbows bent to 90 degrees and resting at your sides. 
• Move your elbows and shoulders back to squeeze your shoulder blades together. 
• Relax your shoulders to the starting position.

19. Shoulder Rows  

This is an extension of the scapular squeeze. The use of the resistance band helps draw your shoulders back and down and simultaneously strengthens the muscles you need for posture and strength, explains Dr. Clark. 

How to do it: 
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• Secure a resistance band by opening a door, wrapping one end of the band around the handle on the other side, then closing the door. 
• Make sure the band does not accidentally pull the door open. 
• Take a few steps back from the door with the ends of the band in each hand. 
• Your arms should be straight and raised to about chest height, and the bands should have some tension. 
• Stretch the band by pulling your hands to the sides of your ribcage while your elbows bend. 
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you hold. 
• Relax your arms to the starting position.

20. Open Book Rotations  

“Sitting in the same position for a long time, especially in front of a computer, can cause your chest muscles to tighten up, which can contribute to your shoulders rounding forward,” says Dr. Clark. Although you can’t always control how much you have to sit throughout the day, open-book rotations counteract the effects of being unable to move around and can provide pain relief. 

How to do it: 
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• Lie on your side with your arms straight out and rest on the floor before your chest
• Your legs should be stacked with your knees bent toward your chest
• Reach your top arm up and behind you as you turn toward your opposite side
• Keep this arm straight while your legs and other arms remain still
• Return to the starting position.

21. Banded Rotation Pull Aparts  

This exercise has benefits similar to the resisted shoulder external rotation, but it works simultaneously on both sides of your body. Banded rotation pull-aparts also target muscles throughout your entire arm and shoulder, such as your forearms and wrists, making it easier to do things like lifting a bag or carrying something. 

How to do it: 
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• Start by standing with a resistance band stretching between your hands with your palms facing each other and your wrists straight
• Your elbows are at your sides
• Move your hands apart from each other to stretch the band, keeping your wrists straight and your elbows at your sides
• Move your hands back together to return to the starting position.

22. Chin Tucks  

This one may seem like a surprise move, but it helps to balance the front of your body with your back and shoulder girdle. “It’s part of viewing rotator cuff pain in a big-picture context, as opposed to just one group of muscles,” explains Dr. Clark. 

How to do it: 
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• Stand comfortably, then nod your head
• Bringing your chin toward your chest
• Glide or retract your chin back
• Focusing on relaxing your jaw muscles while you hold this position
• Relax and move back to the starting position.

23. Wall Push-Ups  

These help with shoulder strength and mobility and can reduce rotator cuff pain during activities that involve reaching overhead or using your arms to help you stand up from a chair. 

How to do it: 
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• Stand with your hands on a wall at about chest height
• Keep your arms straight
• Move your feet a few steps away from the wall
• Bend through your arms to slowly move your chest toward the wall, stopping when your head and chest get close to the wall. 
• Push through your hands to straighten your arms and return to the starting position. 

24. Bear Crawl Holds  

This exercise works your shoulders, core, and hip muscles. It specifically targets your shoulder stabilizer muscles and improves shoulder stability, which can help with activities like lifting a box, carrying a laundry basket, or getting up from the floor. 

How to do it:
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• Get into a comfortable position on your hands and knees with your hands below your shoulders and your knees below your hips. 
• Raise your knees a few inches off the floor so your weight is evenly distributed between your hands and your feet. 
• Focus on your breath as you hold this position, then lower your knees to the floor.

4 Benefits of Rotator Cuff Exercises

1. Boosting Shoulder Strength with Rotator Cuff Mobility Exercises

Strengthening shoulder muscles. It’s crucial to keep your shoulder muscles strong, especially if you’ve had rotator cuff pain or injuries in the past. 

Rotator cuff exercises target the muscles and tendons that make up the rotator cuff, as well as the supporting muscles around the shoulder. Strengthening these muscles helps stabilize the shoulder joint, which can alleviate pain and prevent future injury. 

2. Increasing Flexibility and Range of Motion with Rotator Cuff Mobility Exercises

Increased flexibility and range of motion. Targeted movements can improve shoulder flexibility, making it easier to perform daily activities that require:
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• Lifting
• Reaching
• Pulling
  ‍

They can also help reduce stiffness and discomfort.

3. Reducing Injury Risk with Rotator Cuff Mobility Exercises

Reduced risk of injury. Strengthening your shoulder and improving flexibility lowers the risk of shoulder strains or injuries. This is particularly important if you do activities that involve a lot of shoulder movement and lifting.

4. Improving Posture with Rotator Cuff Mobility Exercises

Improved posture. It’s important to know that there’s no such thing as perfect posture. Staying in any position for too long can contribute to aches and pain. Strengthening the muscles in and around your upper back allows you to change positions more frequently and comfortably, which helps keep shoulder pain away. 

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Should You Exercise Your Rotator Cuff if it Hurts?

Exercising through pain can be scary. If you have rotator cuff pain, you're probably worried about making it worse. There is no need to panic. If your rotator cuff pain is mild or related to stiffness, gentle exercises may be helpful. Sharp pain is a signal to stop. It’s always best to seek guidance from a healthcare provider or physical therapist before continuing with exercises. They can help you differentiate between discomfort and injury. 

Stay Safe When Starting Rotator Cuff Mobility Exercises

Before you start these exercises, talk with your doctor or physiotherapist. It is important to do the exercises correctly every time. But stop exercising and call your health professional if you are not sure you are doing them correctly.

Also, call if you have any pain. Any discomfort you feel during exercise should not last more than 2 hours after you finish. Clicking and popping during exercise doesn't mean something is wrong, but a grinding feeling may be another problem. If your shoulder is sore after you exercise, ice it. 

Preventing Rotator Cuff Injuries

Your rotator cuff can tear again after treatment or surgery, so it's important to prevent another injury. Protect your joint. Ask your doctor what movements and activities you should avoid to give your shoulder a chance to heal. Be cautious when you raise your arms over your head, and don't hold heavy items out away from your body. Pay attention to your posture, and if you do sports, check with a trainer to be sure you're using good form. 

Strengthen

Building up the muscles in and around your shoulder will help keep your rotator cuff stable and lessen pain. Focus on the muscles in all parts of your shoulder, in your upper back, and in your arms. 

Get More Flexible 

Gentle stretching will restore your shoulder's range of motion, reduce achiness, and lengthen your muscles. You'll get the best results from a shoulder conditioning program if you do your exercises two to three times a week. Before you start, talk with your doctor or physical therapist about the best kinds of exercise to do. 

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Overstretching occurs when you push your muscles and joints beyond their limits, leading to damage instead of improvement. Though overstretch sounds simple, it can lead to painful injuries that may prevent your mobility training progress. Understanding the risks of overstretching will help you avoid it and improve your flexibility.

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