Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy after surgery for shoulder impingement syndrome aims to restore the mobility, muscle strength and function of the shoulder and achieve the greatest possible freedom from pain. Permanent restrictions such as contractures, sticking of the capsule or incorrect posture should be avoided by physiotherapy. Various passive treatment techniques, targeted exercises to build up muscles and improve mobility and muscle-relaxing therapies such as massages are available for this purpose.
Physiotherapy begins as early as the hospital, usually on the first or second day after the operation, with gentle movement exercises, circulation stimulation and the practice of everyday movements. Outpatient physiotherapy can be started immediately after the hospital stay to avoid movement restrictions right from the beginning. Depending on the surgeon’s instructions, the extent of movement can be increased 4-6 weeks after the operation.
In any case, the physiotherapist should provide the patient with a series of exercises for home use, in order to accelerate the success of the therapy and ensure its long-term success. 6 – 8 weeks after the operation, the operated arm can be slowly loaded again during therapy. Comprehensive information on this can be found in the article: Physiotherapy for shoulder impingement syndrome
Exercises
Active exercises to strengthen muscles and extend movement are an important part of the therapy of shoulder impingement syndrome. The shoulder has a rather unfavorable relationship between the joint head and socket, i.e. the joint head is very large in proportion. This guarantees the large range of motion of the shoulder, but brings less stability.
The shoulder is called a muscle-guided joint, because its stability depends largely on the muscles surrounding it. The musculature contributes: For these reasons, muscle-strengthening exercises are essential, especially when problems already exist. Example exercise: You need a resistance band, for example a Thera band.
Stand upright with your upper body, angle your elbows at about 90° and keep your upper arms close to your upper body. Take the band about shoulder width in both hands and pull it outwards without releasing the upper arms from the upper body. Repeat this exercise 15-20 times, perform this 3 times. You will find more detailed information and also further exercises in the articles:
- To a painless movement sequence
- To a sufficient mobility
- For protection against dislocation
- Exercises with the Theraband for the shoulder
- Shoulder Impingement Syndrome exercises
- Mobility training shoulder
