If you have really limited shoulder range of motion, or you've been diagnosed with frozen shoulder, and you can't raise your arm or grab things off the top shelf, let me show you a key component that's missing from a lot of rehab routines.
Remember: your shoulder doesn’t move in isolation. You need both shoulder movement and shoulder blade movement together.
Here’s what to do:
Find a stable surface about hip height—like a counter, table, or bench. On the side that’s restricted, walk your feet away until you feel you can’t lift your arm much higher.
Place your other hand down for support, but make sure the affected side is doing most of the work.
Now, retract your shoulder blade—think about trying to put it into your back pocket—and then push your body away from the stable surface. You can let go of the supporting hand if you’re able, or keep it there depending on your strength.
Do this until you’re fatigued. Then, retest your range of motion.
If you’ve gained more motion, the next step is to work higher up in that range. Step further away so you’re reaching closer to your max. Again, retract your shoulder blade and push away, teaching your shoulder blade to move up and down as your arm elevates.
Go until tired, rest, and repeat.
Doing this every single day is super important—you’re retraining the muscles that control your shoulder blade so it moves properly with your arm.
This will help improve your range, reduce pain, and most importantly, help you get better, not older.
From my personal experience with shoulder mobility issues, I found that many traditional rehab programs often overlook the crucial role of the shoulder blade in restoring function. The shoulder blade, or scapula, acts as a stable base for arm movement, and if it doesn’t move properly, your shoulder joint can feel stiff and painful. The exercise described here—using a hip-height stable surface to support and challenge the affected shoulder—really helped me retrain the muscles controlling scapular movement. By walking your feet away and focusing on retracting the shoulder blade (as if tucking it into your back pocket) while pushing away from the surface, you activate key muscles that coordinate with the shoulder joint. Consistency is vital. Doing this exercise every day, even just for a few minutes, gradually improved my arm elevation range and reduced discomfort when reaching overhead or grabbing objects. What’s important is progressing step by step: starting with a comfortable range and then slowly increasing the distance from the surface to challenge the shoulder blade’s upward and downward motion. Additionally, I discovered that combining this with gentle stretching and avoiding compensatory movements—like shrugging the shoulder—made the rehab process faster and more effective. Remember, frozen shoulder can be frustrating, but persistent retraining of the shoulder blade and arm coordination can help you regain motion and ease your pain, helping you get better without necessarily needing invasive treatments. If you’re dealing with limited shoulder mobility, try incorporating this shoulder blade-focused movement into your routine and observe the gradual improvements. It’s a small change that really makes a meaningful difference in shoulder function and quality of life.
I am 72 and I don’t know what is going on. I went to a Dr who did an X-ray and said I had a tear and arthritis in my right shoulder. I don’t know what I did to cause this but just woke up one morning to it. I had to bend over to even put my hair up. He set me up with physical therapy and I have done that for four weeks. I went back to him this past Thursday and he said if I could not lift my arm without pain the therapy wasn’t working and I needed surgery. I really don’t want surgery and the next step is a MRI. I need some exercises to have me deal with this. I tried the one in this video and I was able to lift my are without the pain. Thank you if you have anymore exercises for me to try.