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Shoulder exercise guide

Best Stretches for Rotator Cuff Pain

A sore rotator cuff usually needs gentle motion and gradual strengthening, not total rest. These are the stretches and starter exercises most often used, with the cautions that go with each one.

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In short
Start with a warm-up, then gentle moves such as the pendulum, cross-body stretch, towel stretch and doorway stretch, and add shoulder-blade and light band work as pain allows. You should feel a stretch, not pain. Stop and get the shoulder examined if you have sudden weakness after an injury, pain that wakes you every night, numbness, or shoulder pain with chest pressure or shortness of breath.

Published by Innovare Tx · Facts last checked September 23, 2026 · Educational information, not medical advice.

How we chose this list

  • Exercises are taken from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Conditioning Program and Harvard Health shoulder stretches.
  • Each entry keeps the source's own caution for that exercise.
  • This is a general starting point. A physical therapist can adjust it to your shoulder and your diagnosis.

  1. 1. Pendulum

    Lean forward with your good hand supported on a table, and let the sore arm hang. Gently swing it forward and back, side to side, and in small circles, letting the momentum do the work. AAOS suggests 2 sets of 10, five to six days a week.

    Caution from AAOS: do not round your back or lock your knees. Keep the circles small at first.

    • Good first exercise when the shoulder is irritable
    • Let the arm hang loose, do not muscle it

    Checked on: AAOS OrthoInfo: Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Conditioning Program

  2. 2. Crossover (cross-body) arm stretch

    Relax your shoulders and gently pull the sore arm across your chest, holding at the upper arm rather than the elbow, until you feel a stretch in the back of the shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds, then relax. AAOS suggests 4 on each side.

    Caution from AAOS: do not pull or put pressure on your elbow.

    Checked on: AAOS OrthoInfo: Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Conditioning Program

  3. 3. Towel stretch (behind the back)

    Hold a long towel behind your back, one hand above your head and the sore-side hand low. Use the top hand to gently pull the towel up, so the lower hand slides a little higher up your back. Harvard Health describes this stretch; AAOS uses a light stick behind the back for the same movement (passive internal rotation).

    Caution from AAOS: do not lean over or twist to the side while pulling. Go only to a stretch, not to pain.

    Checked on: Harvard Health: Stretching exercises for frozen shoulder · AAOS OrthoInfo: Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Conditioning Program

  4. 4. Passive external rotation with a stick

    Hold a light stick or yardstick in both hands, keep the elbow of the sore arm tucked against your side, and use the other hand to push the stick so the sore forearm rotates outward. Hold for 30 seconds. AAOS suggests 4 on each side.

    Caution from AAOS: keep your hips facing forward and do not twist.

    Checked on: AAOS OrthoInfo: Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Conditioning Program

  5. 5. Sleeper stretch (with care)

    Lie on the sore side with that arm out in front at shoulder height and the elbow bent to 90 degrees, fingers pointing up. Use the other hand to gently press the forearm down toward the bed until you feel a stretch in the back of the shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds.

    Caution from AAOS: do not bend your wrist or press down on your wrist. Lying on a painful shoulder is uncomfortable for many people with rotator cuff problems, so skip this one if it causes pain or a pinching feeling at the front of the shoulder, and ask your physical therapist first if you have a known tear.

    Checked on: AAOS OrthoInfo: Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Conditioning Program

  6. 6. Doorway chest and shoulder stretch

    Stand beside a doorway and place the sore-side hand on the frame just below shoulder level, palm forward. Slowly turn your body away from the frame until you feel a stretch across the chest and front of the shoulder. Harvard Health suggests holding 10 to 30 seconds and repeating three to four times.

    Keep the hand below shoulder height and do not bounce. Harvard Health warns that pain while stretching can mean you are injuring the muscle.

    Checked on: Harvard Health: 4 stretches to keep your shoulders in shape

  7. 7. Wall walk (finger walk)

    Face a wall at about arm's length and touch it at waist height. Slowly walk your fingers up the wall as far as is comfortable, then walk them back down. Harvard Health lists this for a stiff shoulder.

    Let the fingers do the work rather than hitching your shoulder toward your ear, and stop short of pain.

    Checked on: Harvard Health: Stretching exercises for frozen shoulder

  8. 8. Scapula setting (shoulder-blade squeeze)

    Lie face down with your arms at your sides. Gently draw your shoulder blades together and down toward your back pockets, ease halfway back, and hold for 10 seconds. AAOS suggests 10 repetitions, three days a week. Good shoulder-blade control gives the rotator cuff a stable base to work from.

    Caution from AAOS: do not tense up in your neck.

    Checked on: AAOS OrthoInfo: Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Conditioning Program

  9. 9. Band external rotation (elbow at your side)

    Once stretching is comfortable, light strengthening follows. Hold a light elastic band with the elbow of the sore arm bent to 90 degrees and tucked against your side, and rotate the forearm outward, then return slowly. AAOS suggests 3 sets of 8, three days a week, and squeezing the shoulder blades together as you pull.

    Use a light band. The last few repetitions should feel like work but stay pain-free.

    Physical therapy at Innovare Tx

    Checked on: AAOS OrthoInfo: Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Conditioning Program

How to do these safely

AAOS recommends warming up with 5 to 10 minutes of low-impact activity, such as walking or a stationary bike, before the program, and says you should not feel pain during an exercise. Harvard Health adds: stretch to the point of tension, not pain, and never bounce. AAOS suggests continuing its program for 4 to 6 weeks unless your doctor or physical therapist says otherwise.

If your shoulder is stiff in every direction, including when someone else tries to move it, the problem may be frozen shoulder rather than the rotator cuff. In its painful early stage, pushing hard into stretches tends to backfire. Read frozen shoulder stages before you stretch hard.

Stop and get the shoulder checked if

These signs call for an examination rather than more stretching. Shoulder or arm pain together with chest pressure, shortness of breath, or jaw, neck or back pain can be a heart attack, and the CDC says to call 911.

  • A snap or tear feeling during an injury, followed by sudden weakness lifting the arm (AAOS)
  • Pain at rest or at night that is getting worse, not better
  • An exercise makes pain sharper or lasts into the next day
  • Numbness, tingling or pain running down the arm
  • Fever, redness or a hot, swollen joint
  • No improvement after a few weeks of steady, gentle work

Frequently asked questions

Many rotator cuff problems, including partial tears, are managed with a structured exercise program. But a sudden tear with weakness should be examined first. Read rotator cuff treatment options, and ask a physical therapist which exercises suit your imaging.
The AAOS program suggests most stretches five to six days a week and strengthening about three days a week, for 4 to 6 weeks unless your clinician advises otherwise.
It is part of the AAOS program, but lying on a painful shoulder bothers many people. Keep it gentle, do not press on the wrist, and skip it if you feel pain or pinching at the front of the shoulder.
A rotator cuff problem usually makes lifting painful or weak while someone else can still move your arm. With frozen shoulder, the shoulder is stiff even when someone else moves it. See frozen shoulder stages and shoulder pain care.
Yes. Rowena Calleja, PT designs shoulder-specific programs at Innovare Tx in Addison that restore motion, rebuild cuff and shoulder-blade strength and correct mechanics. See physical therapy.
No. It is general education. See a clinician for your own shoulder, especially if any stop sign above applies.

Sources

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