Isometric shoulder extension works the muscles that pull your arm backward: the back of the shoulder and the large muscle down the side of your back (latissimus dorsi). The arm stays still. You stand with your back against a wall, arm by your side, and press the back of the arm into the wall, then hold. It is a gentle way to start loading the shoulder when moving it against resistance is still too sore or too early.

How to do the isometric shoulder extension

Stand up straight with your back and shoulders resting against a wall and your feet slightly forward of it.
Let the sore arm hang straight by your side. If a fully straight elbow is uncomfortable, let it bend a little.
Press the back of the arm into the wall, as if you were trying to move the arm backward. The arm stays where it is.
Keep your head facing forward, your neck long and the top of the shoulder relaxed while you hold.
Hold the press steady for a few seconds while you breathe normally, then relax.

What you should feel

Effort at the back of the shoulder and down the side of your back toward the armpit, with no pain in the joint itself.

Common mistakes

Pushing your hips or chest forward off the wall as you press.
Rolling the shoulder forward or lifting it toward your ear.
Pressing so hard that the shoulder hurts or the arm starts to shake.
Holding your breath as the press gets harder.

How often

Often 5 to 10 holds of 5 to 10 seconds, done once or twice a day. Start with a light press and build up gradually. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

The shoulder feels like it is slipping out or giving way.
A sharp pain or a catch starts at the front or top of the shoulder.
Tingling, numbness or pain runs down the arm.
Pins and needles in your arm or hand that do not go away after you stop, or part of your arm or hand goes numb. Get medical advice the same day. If one side of your face or body suddenly goes numb or weak, or your speech becomes slurred or muddled, call emergency services, even if it goes away.
A sudden pop or tearing feeling in the shoulder that brings sharp pain, new weakness or trouble lifting the arm. Stop and contact your surgical team the same day, or get medical advice the same day if you have not had surgery.
The shoulder feels as if it has slipped out of place, looks a different shape or suddenly locks so you cannot move the arm, or your hand turns cold, pale or blue. Go to an emergency department straight away, without driving yourself, and do not try to put the shoulder back in yourself.

From the clinic

The wall holds the arm in place for you, so you can choose how firmly to press without the arm drifting. Begin light and add effort over the days if the shoulder feels no worse afterward. If you have high blood pressure, breathe steadily through every hold and never hold your breath.

It sits well in one session with isometric shoulder flexion, isometric shoulder abduction and isometric shoulder external rotation. Once the holds feel easy, prone shoulder extension is one way to move the arm backward against gravity. After shoulder surgery, including a rotator cuff repair, or after a shoulder fracture or dislocation, follow your surgeon's or physio's plan, and do only the movements and range they have cleared. Many plans allow only passive movement at first, where the arm is moved for you and its muscles stay relaxed. Stop straight away if the shoulder feels as if it is slipping out.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Isometric shoulder extension