Band row exercise ยท shoulder pain
The band row exercise builds the upper back muscles that hold your shoulders where they should be.
The band row is a home shoulder and upper back exercise: with the band anchored in a door at chest height, you draw your elbows straight back until the shoulder blades meet in the middle, pause 2 seconds, return slowly, and repeat 10 times.
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 band row
- Set up: Shut the band in a door at chest level and face the door, one handle in each hand.
- Move: Row the elbows back until the shoulder blades pinch together, then release forward at half the speed.
- Count and hold: Pause 2 seconds. Repeat 10 times. Twice a day.
Why the band row matters after a procedure
Rounded shoulders tilt the socket forward and crowd the rotator cuff, and they pull the head forward over the neck. Rowing strengthens the muscles between and below the shoulder blades that hold the whole system upright. Better posture here helps shoulder pain and neck pain in one move, a big deal for anyone injured at work in a job that rounds them forward all day.
Which mistakes undo it?
- Shrugging your shoulders up.
- Leaning your body backward to pull.
- Allowing the band to snap the arms forward.
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
- Row the elbows, squeeze the blades.
- Stand still. The arms do the work.
- Control the band on the way back.
Last step. Show us you have it: Right here in the clinic, do one row for your technician and hold the squeeze for two seconds. 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
- Pendulum, another shoulder exercise
- Wall walk, another shoulder exercise
- Outward turn with band, 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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