Pendulum exercise ยท shoulder pain
The pendulum exercise lets gravity move a painful shoulder while its muscles stay off duty.
The pendulum is a home shoulder exercise: propped on a table by your good hand, you let the painful arm dangle and trace small circles by swaying your body, for about 30 seconds, 10 circles each way.
Skip this one unless it is marked on the home program your physician gave you. Unless your instructions say otherwise, do your marked exercises twice a day, every day, and tick off each session in your log.
Step by step: the pendulum
- Set up: Lean over a table with your weight on the good hand; the painful arm dangles.
- Move: Sway your body slightly so the dangling arm draws little circles. Keep the arm limp; your sway and gravity do the work.
- Count and hold: About 30 seconds. 10 circles in each direction. Twice a day.
Why the pendulum matters after a procedure
A shoulder that is not moved can stiffen quickly, and a frozen shoulder is far harder to treat than a painful one. Because the shoulder muscles stay relaxed, the joint gets motion without strain on the rotator cuff. It is a common first step after an image-guided shoulder injection, or while the joint is too sore for anything else. See shoulder pain treatment.
Which mistakes undo it?
- Using the shoulder muscles to swing the arm. Let your body rock it.
- Circles that are too big. Small is plenty.
- Standing too straight; you need to lean.
When to stop for the day
Expect a mild stretch, some effort, and maybe a little soreness the next morning. Quit for the day and phone (314) 886-5620 if you get:
- Numbness, tingling or weakness that was not there before
- A sharp, stabbing pain
- Pain that rises 2 points or more above your starting number and does not settle within an hour
- Lightheadedness, or your vision changing
Fainting, chest pain or a struggle to breathe: dial 911, not our office.
What to remember
- The arm hangs limp like a rope.
- Your body sways and the arm follows.
- Small circles, both directions.
Last step. Show us you have it: Right here in the clinic, demonstrate a few circles with the arm fully relaxed. Unsure about any step? We run through it with you again next time.
Why bring your exercise log?
The log is how we tell the difference between an exercise that is not working and an exercise that is not being done. At each visit your technician counts the sessions you checked off, notes your daily pain number, and watches you do one exercise to correct your form before small errors become habits.
Related reading
- The painstl.com physiotherapy program, every station and test
- Wall walk, another shoulder exercise
- Outward turn with band, another shoulder exercise
- Band row, another shoulder exercise
- I raise, another shoulder exercise
- Y raise, another shoulder exercise
- T raise, another shoulder exercise
- A press, another shoulder exercise
Need the plan built around your injection?
A physician examines you first and decides which shoulder exercises fit your diagnosis and the procedure you had.
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