Shoulder Internal Rotation

Shoulder Internal Rotation

Many clients we see have a hard time reaching behind his/her back.  This can be problematic for dressing and toileting. If you find your client has a difficult time adjusting his/her clothing, you need to work on improving shoulder internal rotation.  Decreased shoulder internal rotation can potentially lead to falls if your client does not have good balance, due to increased time and effort required for self care tasks.

Treatment

In the video on our instagram page, the client was instructed to retrieve a cone from the counter top and then transfer the cone behind his back, passing cone to the other hand to bring back to the counter.  The activity is also facilitating standing balance, necessary for safety and independence with self care tasks.

In order to work on shoulder external rotation, you can do the same type of activity, modifying the movement by passing the cone behind the client’s head.

Client-Centered Treatment

Next time you are working on toileting or dressing with your clients, observe his/her shoulder range of motion.  Analyzing your client’s functional performance helps you to address his/her deficits, which promotes a client-centered treatment plan.

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