Side lying shoulder abduction takes the arm out to the side and up through its full sideways arc while you lie on your good side. You lift the straight top arm from your thigh toward the ceiling, carry it on over your head as far as is comfortable, then bring it back slowly. Physios give it to win back the sideways lift of the arm after a shoulder has been stiff or weak.

How to do the side lying shoulder abduction

Lie on your pain-free side with both legs straight, one resting on the other. Bend your bottom arm under your head, with a small pillow or rolled towel if you need one.
Rest the top arm along your side with the elbow straight and the hand on your thigh.
Slowly lift the arm out to the side and up toward the ceiling, keeping the elbow straight.
Keep going past pointing straight up and let the arm travel on over your head, only as far as is comfortable. In the video it ends up almost in line with the body, beyond the head.
Bring the arm back up and over, then lower it slowly to your thigh. Control it the whole way and repeat.

What you should feel

Effort over the top and outer side of the shoulder while the arm rises, then a gentle stretch along the side of your trunk and under the arm as it passes over your head.

Common mistakes

Rolling back toward the mat as the arm goes up.
Letting the elbow bend.
Dropping the arm onto your thigh at the end instead of lowering it.
Pushing the overhead part of the movement when it pinches.

How often

Often 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 slow lifts, once or twice a day, going only as far as stays comfortable. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

A sharp pain or pinch at the top of the shoulder as the arm lifts or passes over your head.
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

The video is filmed on a treatment table, while the voice guide says a mat. Either is fine, as long as you can lie steadily on your side. Some people with an irritated rotator cuff feel a painful catch in the middle part of the lift, around the point where the arm points at the ceiling. If that happens, stop each lift just short of the sore spot for now and tell your physio.

When lifting the arm yourself is still too much, shoulder abduction with a stick lets the other arm do some of the work. Shoulder abduction with a band is a common later step once this is easy.

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. Lifting the arm sideways on its own works the tendon on top of the shoulder (supraspinatus), the one repaired most often, so after cuff surgery this exercise usually waits for your surgeon's go-ahead.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try side lying shoulder abduction. Lying on your side lets the top leg slide forward or drop across the lower one, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations. A pillow between your knees helps keep the legs apart.

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.

Side lying shoulder abduction