Poses & Exercises for Shoulder Pain
Healthy shoulders need balance and strength. Make sure you avoid any exercises that brings pain to your shoulders especially fast movements with the arms such as throwing a ball. Always try to be careful with your body. Always maintain good posture by keeping the spine straight and the head directly over the neck. Try not to sit in any position for more than a few hours at a time. Circle the neck in both directions every day so the neck doesn't get stiff. Treat any persistent pain with ice and heat and anti-inflammatory agents. If this appeals to you, try lifting 3-10 pound weights to increase the strength in your shoulders and neck. These exercises below will also help relieve shoulder pain and give you more movement in the shoulder girdle.
Garudasana arms in easy pose. Sitting cross legged in easy pose, take your arms straight out in front of you. Cross the right arm underneath the left then wrap it around the left so that the palms come to touch. If you cannot touch the palms, grab opposite shoulders. Stay here for 1-3 minutes, then do the other side. Next, put your arms into reverse prayer arms behind the back. Take both arms behind the back and touch palms, then turn the hands to face up and press them into your back. Pull the shoulders back to open up the chest more. Stay here for 3 minutes.
Lying prone on a table (or if that doesn’t work you can do this pose in cross legged position too) with the arm dangling towards the ground, swing the arm forward and back in a pendulum swing exercises for 2 minutes, then move the arm in complete circles for 1 minute. Switch to the other arm.
Puppy Pose with twist- Start in table top, then place the hands towards the top of the mat and pull the torso down towards the mat. The arms should now be touching the mat and the chest is still lifted off the mat. The hips stay right above the knees. They don’t go back towards the heels like in childs pose. Stay here for 3 minutes and then add in a shoulder twist. Wrap the right arm under the left and leave the left where it is or wrap the left arm around the back towards the right thigh to get a shoulder opener in the left arm as well. Stay here for 3 minutes and then switch to sides.
Shoulder Pigeon pose- Start prone on the ground, with both arms out straight, in line with your shoulders. Turn onto your right side then bend your left leg and place your left foot behind your back. Now take your left arm and reach it up towards the ceiling. You can stay here or bend the arms at the elbow, placing it behind the back, or you can grab onto your right hand or reach for it with your left. Stay here for 3 minutes then switch to the other side.
Garudasana pose- Come into chair pose with the hips low and sitting back as if into a chair, arms come up by the ears. From here, wrap the right arm underneath the left and take both palms to touch, or grab opposite shoulders if this is not accessible. Next, lift the right leg and cross it over the left. From here you can try to wrap the right leg around the back of the left or just place the right foot on the ground to give yourself better balance in the pose. Stay here for as long as feels good to you and then unwrap both the arms and the legs. Inhale to rise the arms up and over head, exhale to forward fold, and grab opposite elbows. Hang out here for 1 minute. From here, inhale to rise back into chair pose and repeat on the other side.
Arms overhead, wrap hands around each other palms come to touch, stay here for as long as you can. 3-5 minutes is recommended. Modification, bend the elbows and grab onto opposite elbows. Squeeze shoulder blades together slightly.
Gomukasana both right and left side. Start in staff pose, both legs out straight in front of you. Bend the right knee and place the right foot to the left hip, stacking the right knee on top of the left. Then bend the left leg so that the left foot ends up by the right hip. Modification: If placing the left foot next to the right hip is too intense on the hips keep the left leg straight but flex the foot slightly back towards the face. Then take the right arm behind the back, bend it at the elbow and then take the left arm up by the head and bend it, reaching for the right hand with the left. If you can’t reach the hand, just keep reaching for it. It’s not important that you reach the hand, just that you feel a stretch in the shoulders. Inhale to find length in the spine and exhale pull the navel in and lock the chin, making it parallel to the ground. Stay here for 1 minute, keeping that tall spine and navel engaged, then on an exhale fold forward over the legs. Stay here for 3 minutes. On an inhale, rise back up and release the hands down by either side of the torso. Take the left arm up to the sky as you stretch the left side body, bending to the right towards your right hand. Stay here for 5-10 breaths or longer. Then switch to the left side, stretching the right side body. Now repeat Gomukasana on the left side making sure to switch the arms as well. Now repeat the side bend 2x times.
Thread the Needle- Get into tabletop position, hands and knees are shoulder and hips width apart. Inhale to rise the right arm up to the sky, roll out the wrist 3 times each way and then thread the right arm underneath the left coming onto the right shoulder and cheek. Stay here for 3-5 minutes and then repeat on the other side.
Bow Pose- Begin on your belly. Bend the legs back towards the buttocks, and then reach back with both arms to grab the outsides of the feet. Push the feet towards the ceiling to lift the torso and the thighs up off the ground, coming to a backbend. Hold for at least 1 minute, increasing the time if possible eventually. Release the hands from the feet and now interlace the hands behind the back and lift just the chest off the ground as you squeeze the shoulderblades together. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat this 5 times. Then come back into bow pose and repeat bow pose 2 more times.
Push ups or Chaturangas. Do pushups or practice your chaturangas. This exercise focuses on strengthening the shoulders and arms. Modification is having the knees on the ground. Try to do at least 20, increasing the amount as you continue to practice the exercise.
Wide Legged Forward fold- Get into Prasarita Padotanasana by placing your feet about where your wrists are when your arms are out straight. Both feet are parallel. Interlace the fingers behind the back and fold forward, taking the hands as far above the head as you can. You should feel a nice stretch in the shoulders. You can add a sway side to side to help release the lower back. Stay here for 3 minutes.
Dolphin Pose- From downward facing dog, kneel onto the floor and bring your palms onto the mat shoulder width apart. Spread your fingers and press into all parts of your hands. Make sure forearms are parallel and rooted firmly into the earth. Now slide your knees underneath your hips, bringing them closer to your arms. Lift the hips and knees off the ground, straightening the legs and keep them active and engaged to keep the back from rounding.
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