SHOULDER REHAB DOESN’T NEED TO BE COMPLICATED!

SHOULDER REHAB DOESN’T NEED TO BE COMPLICATED!

Shoulder rehab does not need to be complicated…

There is a common trend or thought in the rehabilitation world that we need to be prescribing a wide range of fancy and unique rehabilitation exercises as well as whatever other treatment modalities we have in our ‘toolbox’ to help people with shoulder pain get better. However for many, this is simply not the case.

Chris Littlewood and his colleagues have researched a single exercise, self-managed program (either banded side raises, or related to the most painful shoulder movement) for the treatment of rotator cuff tendinopathy. This simple approach has been found to be just as effective (if not more effective) as ‘usual physiotherapy’ – which may involve a range of interventions such as manual therapy, acupuncture, stretching, taping, electrotherapy and injections (Littlewood et al., 2014 & Littlewood et al., 2016).

With the proper advice and education, 1 or 2 very simple exercises (when programmed and implemented properly) can be extremely effective in decreasing pain and restoring function.

Keep it simple!

Chris Bryceson

B. Health Sciences (Physio), APAM

CB Physiotherapy