Recovery plan

Shoulder Dislocation

Learn what happens during a shoulder dislocation, why it occurs, and how recovery and rehabilitation typically progress.

Read the full injury guide Shoulder recovery

A usable progression

Move forward when the current stage is tolerable.

This is a general education framework, not a personal prescription. The injury, treatment, symptoms, and demands of your activity can all change the pace.

Settle

Goal: Protect the area and reduce the most provocative load.
Do: Use comfortable daily movement where appropriate and follow any protection or restrictions from your clinician.
Avoid: Avoid repeatedly testing sharp pain, forcing range, or returning to demanding activity because symptoms briefly improve.
Progress when: Daily tasks are becoming easier and symptoms are not escalating after ordinary activity.

Restore

Goal: Rebuild comfortable movement and basic function.
Do: Work through the exercises and mobility guidance linked below, starting with a tolerable range and dose.
Avoid: Avoid adding several new exercises, heavier loads, or longer sessions at the same time.
Progress when: Movement is more comfortable, swelling or irritability is settling, and basic use is improving.

Strengthen

Goal: Build capacity for the loads your work, training, or sport requires.
Do: Progress resistance, repetitions, range, or time gradually—one meaningful change at a time.
Avoid: Avoid using pain-free rest alone as proof that the tissue is ready for full demand.
Progress when: The area tolerates progressively harder sessions without a marked next-day flare.

Return

Goal: Reintroduce the specific activity with control and confidence.
Do: Start with a reduced version of the task, then build duration, load, speed, and complexity separately.
Avoid: Avoid jumping from rehabilitation exercises straight to full training, competition, or heavy work.
Progress when: You can repeat the demands of your activity with stable symptoms, useful strength, and no loss of function.

Rehabilitation Guides

Rehabilitation · IA-SHO-REH-003

Post-Dislocation Shoulder Rehab Guide

A phase-by-phase rehabilitation guide for recovering after a shoulder dislocation, covering protection, strengthening, and safe return to sport or activity.

Read guide →Rehabilitation · IA-SHO-REH-002

General Shoulder Rehabilitation Principles

Core principles behind shoulder rehabilitation that apply across most shoulder injuries, including phased progression, exercise selection, and when to seek help.

Read guide →

Exercises

Exercises · IA-SHO-EXE-002

External Rotation with Resistance Band

Step-by-step guide to the external rotation with band exercise for strengthening the rotator cuff. Includes mistakes to avoid and who should skip it.

Read guide →Exercises · IA-SHO-EXE-003

Internal Rotation with Resistance Band

Learn the internal rotation with band exercise for shoulder strength and rotator cuff rehab, including step-by-step form, common mistakes, and who should avoid it.

Read guide →Exercises · IA-SHO-EXE-005

Pendulum Exercise (Codman Exercise) for the Shoulder

Learn how to do the pendulum (Codman) exercise safely for shoulder stiffness, pain, or early rehab. Step-by-step instructions, mistakes to avoid, and who should skip it.

Read guide →

Recovery Timelines

Recovery timelines · IA-SHO-REC-004

Shoulder Dislocation Recovery Timeline

A realistic recovery timeline after a shoulder dislocation, covering immobilization, rehab milestones, and return-to-sport timing.

Read guide →

Prevention

Prevention · IA-SHO-PRE-004

Shoulder Injury Prevention for Overhead Athletes

A practical prevention guide for throwers, swimmers, and overhead athletes to reduce shoulder injury risk, with warm-up and strengthening routines.

Read guide →

Recovery guidance needs context.

These resources provide general education, not a diagnosis or personalised treatment plan. A recent major injury, deformity, substantial weakness, worsening neurological symptoms or inability to use the affected area should be assessed.