Rotator Cuff Home Exercise Program - Vanderbilt University Medical

16
For information regarding the MOON Shoulder
Group, talk to your doctor or conta
ct:
Rosemary Sanders

1215 21
st
Avenue South

6100 Medical Center East
Va
Va
nderbilt University Medical Center

Nashville, TN 37232-8300

MOON Shoulder
Group

Version
2
(Date:
8.12.2008
)
MOON
SHOULDER
GROUP
Rotator Cuff
Home Exercise
Program
Date of IRB Approval: August 21, 2008

2
Introduction


The MOON Shoulder group is a Multi
-center
Orthopaedic Outcomes Network. In other words, it
is a group of doctors from around the country
working together to do research so they can give
patients with shoulder problems the best possible
care.
You have been kind enough to be in our rehabilitation study. We are trying to find out why
some patients with rotator cuff tears get better with
therapy and others do not. Your doctor, athletic trainer or physical therapist
can help guide you through this program which is
broken up into three parts: Range
of
Motion
- you should do this every day to
help get your motion back.
Flexibility
- you should do this every day to help
stretch tight tissues.
Strengthening
- you should do this 3 or 4 days each
week to help get your strength back.


For most of the exercises you will do a certain
number of repetitions (or reps) and a certain
number of sets. Example: 3 sets / 10 reps
Set 1: Do the exercise 10 times and then rest for a
few seconds,
Set 2: Do the exercise 10 times and then rest for a
few seconds,
Set 3: Do the exercise 10 times and then rest for a
few seconds. Then move onto the next exercise.
15
Patient Rehab Diary
Date of IRB Approval: August 21, 2008

14
Patient DVD
3
Please do not add, skip or alter any of the
exercises without talking to your doctor
first. Rehab Diary

In order to know if the therapy is helpful, we need
to know how often you do the exercises. At the
back of this booklet you will find a Rehab
Diary. It is a very important part of this study
so please take a few minutes each day to fill it
out.
DVD

At the back of this booklet you will also find a
DVD. The DVD shows you how to do all of the
exercises in this booklet. Some points to
remember:
1. The Range of Motion and Flexibility exercises
can be done every day, while the strengthening
exercises should be done 3 or 4 times per
week.
2. With the Range of Motion exercises, it may be
easier and less painful to start while lying on
your back. When that becomes comfortable,
you can do the exercises standing.
3. With strengthening, if you have moderate or
severe pain with any of the exercises, you
should decrease the resistance, decrease the
amount of times you do the exercise, or skip
the exercise until you can do it without pain.
If you have any questions after reading the
booklet or watching the DVD, talk to your
doctor, physical therapist, or athletic trainer.
Date of IRB Approval: August 21, 2008

4

The red arrows point to the injured shoulder in
the pictures where it may not be clear.

Range of Motion Exercises

Do these every day

1. Pendulum exercises. Move your body and let the movement of your
body move your shoulder. Example: Rest your
good hand on a table and bend over a little at your
waist. Make circles with your hips/body which
will cause your injured arm to make circles.
Repeat this by moving your hips/body in
different directions. Do not use your shoulder
muscles. Do each motion 20 times.

2. Posture exercises. These exercises should be done within the pain free range. In other words you should not have any pain while doing these exercises. Do this exercise 20 times.