Shoulder Mobilization

Original Editor - David Drinkard, Dana Tew.

Top Contributors - Dana Tew, Nupur Smit Shah, David Drinkard, Braden Osman, Admin, Jacob Bischoff, Lucinda hampton, Aminat Abolade, Kim Jackson, 127.0.0.1, Tony Varela, Rachael Lowe, Kai A. Sigel, WikiSysop and Mariam Hashem  

Introduction

Manual therapy interventions for the shoulder have been associated with improvements in pain and function in individuals with shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS) and adhesive capsulitis (AC).  Often rotator cuff tendinopathy can also be diagnostically synonymous with shoulder impingement syndrome.

Below are some of the techniques at our diposal.

Posterior Glenohumeral Mobilization

1. Patient Position: Supine
2. Therapist Position: Force Hand on Proximal Humerus
3. Mobilization: A posteriorly directed force is directed perpendicular to the humerus

Scapulothoracic Mobilization

Scapulothoracic mobilization
Scapulothoracic mobilization is performed when there is dysfunction of the scapulothoracic articulation (e.g. restriction of upward rotation or lateral glide). Mobilizations that are commonly used include medial/lateral glides, superior/inferior glides, upward and downward rotation, and diagonal patterns.

• Patient postition- typically, the patient is lying side-lying with the involved side up and the arm resting on the therapist's arm. The therapist stands in front of the patient, facing them. Hand contacts for these glides are the inferior angle of the scapula and the acromion. Direction and magnitude of force are dependent upon the technique being utilized and the amount of motion that is desired.