Did you have a stroke? Let me guess you are experiencing shoulder pain too. If you are then this video might be helpful for you.

When you have a stroke and one side is weaker than the other, there is a high probability that you will experience shoulder pain. There are multiple factors why you will experience this. One would be the increased tightness of your chest muscles and weakness of your scapular muscles. Next will be bad positioning and handling of the affected side. There could also be pain because of the structures around your shoulder being pulled leading to the space between your shoulder and your arm.

Now that we know what causes shoulder pain after stroke we need to know how to manage it. The most important management would be prevention. So first we need to know how to position the stroke arm. This can be done by supporting the arm throughout the day. Let’s start with positioning while sleeping. We need to position your affected arm using a pillow. Try to put a pillow under your arm to keep your forearm away from your belly and keeping It attached to the shoulder.
Same way when you are sitting down. Support your shoulder on a chair with armrests. If there is no armrest available get you something to support your arm position as close to the shoulder as possible and keeping the forearm away from your belly. And then when you are standing or walking, wear a sling. We want to avoid traction of your arm away from your shoulder as much as possible.
If you have tightness around your chest area it will lead to your shoulder being pulled towards the front and downwards.
This will help relax the muscles and relieve the tightness.

Now let’s do the exercises. The main thing to remember here is to support your affected arm which is weaker using your stronger arm. Do this by intertwiningyour fingers. Avoid holding the wrist as this will lead to just passive range of motion exercises. This will not help you strengthen that arm and regain movement. Also avoid going above shoulder level or to the point of pain. No pain no gain does not apply here. First exercise is shoulder flexion. Just bring your arms up to the shoulder level then back down to your lap. Do this 10 times next verse diagonal reaching reach as low as possible then go up to the shoulder level.
Third exercise is internal and external rotation. Keep your elbow Close to your hip Then God you are weaker arm going in towards your belly and out. Don’t push too hard going out.
Next will be gentle rocking. This time support your wicker arm by grading your forearm with your strong hand under the elbow of the weaker arm. Gently rock backandforth 10 times.
Lastly, do belly twists. You will still route support your weaker arm with your stronger arm same way as the previous exercise. You will twist your body The opposite direction of where your wicker arm is going. So if you are twisting towards your right your wicker arm should go towards the left.
Throughout this exercises, your stronger arm is only there to support the weaker arm. Try to move your wicker on as much as possible to strengthen and regain movement.

I hope this video helped you take care of that shoulder pain and prevent it from reoccurring. Just remember consistency is the key and never give up.

#strokerecovery #shoulderpain #occupational therapy

Disclaimer:
This video should not replace the necessity of visiting your doctor or getting your occupational therapy session done. Please consult your primary care physician before doing any of this. The video is for educational purposes only.

By performing any fitness exercises, you are performing them at your own risk. Skills and wellness will not be responsible or liable for any injury or harm you sustain as a result of our fitness program.

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