Lying 90/90 shoulder rotation moves the shoulder through its turning range with the arm out to the side. You lie on your back with the upper arm resting on the floor level with your shoulder and the elbow bent to a right angle, then turn the forearm back toward your head (external rotation) and bring it up again. The floor holds the upper arm, and there is no band or weight.

How to do the lying 90 90 shoulder rotation

Lie on your back on a mat, legs straight. Rest the working arm out to the side on the floor, level with your shoulder or a little lower.
Bend the elbow to a right angle so the forearm points up and your fingers point at the ceiling. The upper arm stays on the floor from here on.
Slowly turn the arm so the forearm tips back toward your head, as far as is comfortable. In the video it goes back until the hand is close to the floor, palm facing up.
Bring the forearm back up with control until your fingers point at the ceiling again. Keep your shoulder blades resting on the floor the whole time.
Relax and repeat, keeping the elbow bent at a right angle between turns. To finish, straighten the elbow and let the arm rest on the floor.

What you should feel

A gentle stretch across the front of the shoulder and chest as the forearm goes back, and light work at the front of the shoulder as you bring it up again.

Common mistakes

Letting the elbow slide up or down, so the upper arm no longer lines up with the shoulder.
Pushing the forearm down to the floor when the front of the shoulder feels strained.
Arching your back as the forearm goes back.
Letting the forearm drop toward the floor instead of lowering it with control.

How often

Many programs use 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 slow turns, once or twice a day. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

The shoulder feels as though it could slip out as the forearm goes back.
A sharp pain or a catch in the shoulder.
Pain, pins and needles or numbness spreading down your arm or into your hand.
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

If lying with the arm right out at shoulder height is uncomfortable, a folded towel under the elbow, or resting the upper arm a little lower than shoulder level, often eases it. Seated shoulder external rotation and side-lying external rotation train the outward turn with the elbow at your side, which is usually the earlier position. Standing 90/90 external rotation with a band adds resistance in this arm position later on.

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. With the arm out to the side and the forearm tipped back toward your head, the shoulder is in the position in which a joint that has come out at the front before is most likely to slip out again. After any dislocation, even one years ago, check with your physio first, and turn back only as far as they advise. After a repair for a shoulder that kept coming out at the front, or after a shoulder replacement, turning outward in this position is usually one of the last movements to be cleared, so wait until your surgeon or physio says it is on your plan.

If you are pregnant and past the first three months, check with your physio before exercising flat on your back.

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.

Lying 90 90 shoulder rotation