Proprioception exercises speed up the recovery of injuries to the joint, ligaments, muscles or tendons of the shoulder because they help the body adapt to the affected limb, avoiding unnecessary efforts during daily activities, such as moving the arm, picking up objects or cleaning the house, for example.
Normally, shoulder proprioception exercises should be done daily for 1 to 6 months, until you are able to do the exercises without difficulty or until the orthopedist or physiotherapist recommends it.
Shoulder proprioception is used not only in the recovery of sports injuries such as strokes, dislocations or bursitis, but in the recovery of orthopedic surgeries or in the simplest injuries, such as tendonitis of the shoulder, for example.
How to do proprioception exercises for the shoulder
Some proprioception exercises used in shoulder recovery include:
Exercise 1:
Stay in the position of four supports, as shown in image 1, then raise your arm without the injury, close your eyes and maintain the position for 30 seconds, repeating for 3 times;
Exercise 2:
Stand in front of a wall and with a tennis ball in the hand of the affected shoulder. Then lift one foot and keep your balance while throwing the ball against the wall 20 times. Repeat the exercise 4 times and, each time, change the foot that is raised;
Exercise 3:
Stand and hold a soccer ball against a wall, with the arm of the affected shoulder, as shown in image 2. Then, make rotating movements with the ball, avoiding bending the arm, for 30 seconds and repeating 3 times.
These exercises should, whenever possible, be guided by a physiotherapist to adapt the exercise to the specific injury and adapt to the phase of evolution of the recovery, increasing the results.
