Revised March 2007

These exercises can be done as soon as your doctor gives permission.

Chicken Winging (lying on your back and placing your hands behind your head):

a) Bring your elbows forward to try and touch them together in front of your nose. Hold for 15 seconds.

b) Stretch your elbows back to try and touch the floor or bed. Hold for 30 seconds.

Cane Exercises:

a) While lying on your back, hold a cane or broomstick with both hands, shoulder width apart. Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on floor. Raise the cane evenly over your head and try to touch the floor. Then flex (bend) your elbows and try to bring the cane down behind your head.

b) While standing, hold the cane behind your hips and try to slide it up towards the upper thoracic area (mid-back).

Doorway Stretch:

a) Stand in a doorway and place each hand lightly on either side of the door frame, then slide your hands upward as far as possible.

Wall Climbing:

a) Stand facing the wall with your elbows flexed and your toes a few inches from the wall. Place your palms on the wall at shoulder level. Slide both hands up the wall until some pulling or discomfort is felt in the axillary incision. Make a pencil mark on the wall to measure progress. 

Bilateral Arm Swings (in front of a mirror): 
(Try to match the movements of the unaffected arm.)

a) Swing both arms forward and over your head as far as possible.

b) Swing both arms out to the side and over your head as far as possible..

c) Clasp both hands together and lift them over your head. Bend to the unaffected side to stretch the chest wall and axilla.

To assure balance and posture and to gauge normal range of motion, both arms should be exercised at the same time. Posture and movement can be monitored with a mirror. To maintain good posture, it is helpful to occasionally walk with your hands clasped behind the back while pulling the shoulder blades together.

These exercises should be continued until both arms have the same range of motion and are equally strong. This may take 2 to 3 months. Full shoulder motion is achieved when you can reach across the top of your head and touch your opposite ear without feeling a stretch in your underarm.