In shoulder internal rotation with a stick, your easier arm pulls a stick upward behind your back so the hand of the stiff shoulder slides up your spine. The stiff arm does not do the work. The other arm moves it for you (assisted range of motion). Physios often use it to get back the reach behind your back that you need to tuck in a shirt or fasten a bra.

How to do the shoulder internal rotation with a stick

Stand upright with your feet hip width apart and your shoulders relaxed.
Hold a stick upright behind your back. The hand of your easier arm reaches over the shoulder and holds the top. The hand of the stiff arm holds the bottom, behind your lower back.
Keep the stick close to your back so it stays in contact with your body.
Pull the stick slowly upward with the top hand. This slides the lower hand up your back, as far as you can comfortably manage.
Pause at the top, then let the stick come back down with control.

What you should feel

A stretch in the shoulder of the lower arm, often at the front or the back of the joint. The top arm may feel a mild stretch at the back of the upper arm.

Common mistakes

Leaning forward or bending to one side to get the hand higher.
Hunching the shoulders up toward your ears.
Letting the stick drift away from your back.
Jerking the stick up quickly instead of pulling slowly.

How often

Programs often use 10 to 15 slow repetitions, 1 to 3 times a day, sometimes with a short hold at the top. Your physio will adjust this for you.

Stop and check with your physio if

Sharp pain or a catch in either shoulder, or pain that builds with each repetition.
Pain or tingling spreads 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

No stick at home? A towel works the same way: hold one end over your shoulder and the other end behind your back, then pull up with the top hand. Go only as far as a stretch you can breathe through, and let the top arm do the pulling rather than forcing the lower arm.

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. Reaching behind the back stretches the rotator cuff tendons and the front of the joint, so after a rotator cuff repair or a shoulder replacement it is usually not allowed for at least the first 6 weeks. Check with your surgeon or physio before you start.

The top arm also has to reach over its own shoulder, so if that shoulder is sore too, ask your physio about another setup. The sleeper stretch works on inward turning from a lying position, and shoulder external rotation with a stick uses the same stick for the opposite direction.

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.

Shoulder internal rotation with a stick