The wall shoulder external rotation stretch eases the muscles that turn the arm inward, mainly the rotator cuff muscle on the front of the shoulder blade (subscapularis). With your elbow bent to a right angle and tucked at your side, you rest your palm on the edge of a wall or door frame and step your body around, away from the arm, until the front of the shoulder stretches. It is often used when a shoulder has lost some of its outward turn.

How to do the wall shoulder external rotation stretch

Stand upright facing the edge of a wall or an open door frame, about a forearm's length away.
Bend the elbow of the arm you want to stretch to a right angle and tuck it against your side. Rest your palm against the edge of the wall. The left arm is the one being stretched in the video.
Keeping the elbow pressed to your ribs and the hand still, take small steps with your feet to turn your body away from that arm.
Once the front of the shoulder feels stretched, stay there and breathe normally.
Step your feet back around to face the wall, then lower the arm.

What you should feel

A stretch across the front of the shoulder, sometimes spreading into the front of the chest. The elbow and hand stay put while your body does the turning.

Common mistakes

Letting the elbow peel away from your ribs as you turn. Keep it tucked in, as if holding a newspaper under your arm.
Turning too far in one go. Small steps give you better control of the stretch.
Leaning back from the wall instead of turning your whole body.
Gripping the wall or pushing hard into it with the hand.

How often

Holds of 15 to 30 seconds, 3 to 5 times, once or twice a day, are common. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

A sharp or catching pain at the front of the shoulder, or the shoulder feels as though it is about to slip. Ease out of the stretch straight away.
Pins and needles or numbness runs into your forearm or 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 edge the hand rests on is hard to make out against the white background of the video, but the palm stays in contact with it the whole time. At home, a door frame is easiest. If your elbow keeps wandering, a small rolled towel held between the elbow and your side is a handy reminder. Shoulder external rotation with a stick stretches the same movement with your other arm doing the work.

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. After a repair at the front of the shoulder, a repair of the tendon at the front (subscapularis), a rotator cuff repair or a shoulder replacement, outward turning is usually limited for the first 6 to 8 weeks or longer, so ask your surgeon or physio how far you may go before you start.

Turning the arm outward stretches the front of the joint, which is the side most shoulders dislocate through. The position to avoid is the arm lifted out to the side, close to shoulder height, and turned back. So for this stretch, keep the elbow down against your ribs.

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.

Wall shoulder external rotation stretch