Hold a stick in both hands and lift it up in front of you and over your head, arms straight. The easier arm helps the stiffer one, which is why shoulder flexion with a stick is often used to get a stiff shoulder moving again (assisted range of motion).

How to do the shoulder flexion with a stick

Stand tall with your feet about hip width apart. A firm chair works too if standing is harder.
Hold the stick with both hands, palms facing down and about shoulder width apart. Let it rest against the front of your thighs.
Keep your elbows straight and lift the stick forward to shoulder height.
Carry on up over your head as far as is comfortable, with the easier arm helping the stiffer one.
Lower the stick slowly along the same path until it is back at your thighs.

What you should feel

Movement at the front and top of the shoulder, and a mild stretch near the top of the lift. Both arms share the effort.

Common mistakes

Arching the lower back to get the stick higher. Keep your ribs down and your stomach lightly tight.
Letting the elbows bend on the way up.
Shrugging toward your ears at the top.

How often

Programs often start with 10 to 15 slow lifts, 1 to 3 times a day. How high you get matters more than the count. Your physio may set different numbers for you.

Stop and check with your physio if

You get a sharp pain or a catch in the shoulder as the stick goes up.
Pain or pins and needles spread 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.
The shoulder stays more painful for hours afterward.
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 you catch yourself leaning back as the stick rises, try it sitting. A chair makes it harder to cheat with the lower back, and it helps if your balance is not steady.

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. How high you may lift is often limited for a while. The same stick is used for shoulder external rotation with a stick, which works on turning the arm outward.

Reviewed by the PocketPhysio by VirtueLife expert physiotherapy team. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.

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.

Shoulder flexion with a stick