Shoulder Devices for Rehab and Performance

Cold or Heat Therapy

Back in the “old” days when I played high school baseball, I can remember coming home from practice and heading straight to the freezer.  That’s where I kept about 6 paper cups that I had put there the previous day.  I would tear tear the top half of the paper off (this left the bottom half for a semi-insulated handle) and begin to rub my shoulder with the now-hardened ice ( unless I could get my mom or one of my sisters to rub it for me ).

This worked well, but not without problems:

• it could get messy as the ice block thawed
• it often required help to reach those areas that I couldn’t reach
• you had to make sure that you put the cups filled with water in the freezer the night before

Elasto-Gel to the rescue

Elasto-Gel is a self-contained shoulder wrap filled with a substance that retains either heat or cold.  In other words, it can be used as a heating pad for your shoulder or as ice therapy following a workout or shoulder injury.

Priced at $84.95 – it’ affordable, simple to use and not messy (it won’t leak!)

Shoulder Extension – Get a Ladder!

Recently we received the following email about the Rotater:

“Saw your web page and am intrigued. I had shoulder surgery about three years ago to repair a thoroughly torn (180 degree tear) labrum and also have substantial wear and tear from calcified cartilage fragments (mostly in the humerus).

I am largely pain free, even when lifting weights, but my range of motion, as far as rotation and extension overhead, is substantially limited. In other words, I am only slight compromised on a bench press, more compromised on an incline press, and severely compromised on any upright press, as I am unable to extend my right arm fully overhead.

Will the rotater help this at all? I understand how it would help rotation, and I need that, but it would be nice to focus rehab on both rotation AND overhead extension.”

Scott Kay, the inventor of the Rotater answered as follows:

“I understand your situation. I also had extension and rotational limitations after surgery. Unfortunately, the Rotater will only benefit your internal and external rotation limits. But the extension should be easy.

I had a lot of success with shoulder pulleys. Also you can use a finger ladder or simply finger walk up the wall. Finger walk up a wall as far as you can and mark it. Do it several times each day and you will be surprised how quick you will increase you extension limits.”

Hausmann Shoulder Ladder

The concept is a simple one:

• mount the Shoulder Ladder on a wall or other vertical surface
• reach up to the ladder with the hand of your compromised shoulder
• begin to use your fingers to “walk” up the ladder
• “walk” as high as your pain level will allow
• mark the height you reached and try to exceed that height with each following attempt

At a cost of $98.99, it’s kinda pricey.  You could always use a doorframe or the wall itself.  Please note that the steps do perform the function.  They allow your fingers to grip something which will make you less likely to slip when your shoulder begins to tire and hurt.

My Shoulder Extension Exercise

During my recovery from shoulder surgery, I used a similar method that involved a pool table.  Yea, I spent quite a bit of time drinking beer and shooting pool – back in “the day”.

Anyway, soon after (too soon, according to my doctor) my shoulder surgery, the call of pool tournaments and beer led me back to those places where both could be found.  Because I loved to shoot pool and compete, I devised an effective but slow method of extending my injured shoulder.  Here’s how:

• I would remove my injured arm/shoulder from the sling and in a fully erect posture, place my bridge hand (the hand of my injured shoulder)  on the pool table
• then I would slowly walk backward while bending at the waist
• I would stop when the pain exceeded my current beer level and perform my shot
• I then slowly walked back up to my hand and put it back into the sling

It is unconventional, but it worked for me.  Be sure to ask your doctor before trying this at home ( or a bar ).

The Ultimate Pitching, Throwing & Shoulder Exerciser?

The Finch Windmill

Invented by Doug Finch, the father of renowned softball pitcher Jennie Finch, the Finch Windmill promises to:

• increase speed
• correct muscle imbalances
• rehabilitate a shoulder injury
• work in as little as 4 minutes a day

I’ve never used this product, but they do have some credibility – I mean his daughter has been using it since she was nine and look how good she is.  If that’s not enough for you, then check out this study done by Penn State.

Priced at $325.00 – it’s only about twice as much as a quality aluminum bat costs.

Tagged as: cold therapy, heat therapy, pitching, shoulder exercise, shoulder extension, shoulder ladder, shoulder rehab, throwing