When a sore shoulder makes it hard to lift your arm, the usual advice is to keep it moving rather than rest it completely. NHS inform, run by NHS 24 in Scotland, sets out 6 exercises for shoulder muscle and joint problems: 3 pendulum swings with the arm hanging while you lean on a table, a lying arm raise, a side-lying forearm lift and a wall arm raise. Its example is 8 repetitions, rest a minute, 8 more, 2 to 3 times a day, aiming for a maximum of 2 sets of 15. Here is the page as written.
1. 3 pendulums (front-back, side-to-side, circles), lying arm raise, side-lying forearm lift, wall raise — 6 in all.
2. Start at 2 to 3; in sets, 2 sets of 8, 2 to 3 times a day; at most 2 sets of 15.
3. Pain within 0 to 5 out of 10; get advice if not better within 6 weeks.
First — NHS inform
| Topic | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Who for | Useful for anyone with a new shoulder problem. If you have been diagnosed with a condition or had recent surgery, follow your healthcare professional’s advice | After surgery, their advice comes first |
| Why | Getting movement and strength back supports tissue healing and gets you moving. You may not return to usual levels at once and progress may be slow, but a gradual return to normal activities gives the best short and long-term results | — |
| At first | Listen to your pain, especially early on. Symptoms may rise slightly at first but should ease with regular practice. If there is discomfort, prescribed medication from your GP or pharmacist may help you keep going | In Korea, ask a doctor or pharmacist (our gloss) |
| Safety | Somewhere safe, only if you feel well enough. If you start to feel unwell, stop immediately | — |
The 6 shoulder exercises — NHS inform
| Exercise | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pendulum — front to back | Standing, a table or chair beside you. Lean forward so one arm hangs straight down, other hand on the table or chair. Slowly swing the free arm backwards and forwards, gradually making the swing longer. Back and forth is one repetition | Let the arm’s weight do the work (our gloss) |
| 2. Pendulum — side to side | Same position; slowly swing the free arm left to right, gradually making it longer. One repetition each way and back | — |
| 3. Pendulum — circles | Same position; rotate the arm clockwise as if drawing a circle, occasionally changing direction, gradually making it bigger. Clockwise and anti-clockwise is one repetition | — |
| 4. Lying arm raise | Lie on your back, arms by your sides, knees bent. Clasp your hands in front, lift your arms over your body until they are straight over your head, then back over and down. A bed is a good place | The good arm helps the sore one (our gloss) |
| 5. Side-lying forearm lift | Lie on your right side, a cushion under your neck, left arm bent at a right angle in front. A light weight such as a tin of beans if you like. Keeping the right angle, lift the hand to point at the ceiling, then gently back. Up and down is one repetition | The page only describes the right-side position; swap sides for the other arm (our reading) |
| 6. Wall arm raise | Standing, facing a wall, arms at right angles in front, thumbs away from the wall, forearms in line with it. Squeeze your shoulder blades back and together, slowly raise both arms, keep the shoulder-blade position as far as you can, then slowly lower | — |
We named the exercises. The page has a video for each, but on the day we checked the video titles did not display, so we named them from the written movements.
How much pain is OK, how many — NHS inform
| Topic | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Pain score | Rate pain out of 10 (0 = no pain, 10 = the worst you have ever had). 0 to 3 minimal, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive | — |
| During | Keep pain within 0 to 5. Above that: fewer repetitions, a slower movement, or more rest between movements | Changing just one may be enough (our reading) |
| After | Exercise should not make your existing shoulder pain worse overall. New exercises can cause short-term muscle pain, but it should ease quickly and be no worse the morning after | The next morning is the test |
| Topic | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Start | 2 to 3 repetitions at a time | — |
| Often | Small amounts through the day — for example every hour | — |
| Build | As it gets easier, add 1 or 2 repetitions every few days | “A few” has no number on the page |
| Sets | As you manage more, break them into sets — more at a time, less often. This builds strength. For example: 8 repetitions, rest a minute, another set of 8, 2 to 3 times a day | 2 sets of 8 = 16 a session; 32 to 48 a day at 2 to 3 sessions (our sum) |
| Aim | Increase over time, to a maximum of 2 sets of 15 | 30 a session at most (our sum) |
Put into numbers, the page’s example is 2 sets of 8 = 16 a session, or 32 to 48 a day at 2 to 3 sessions; the aim of 2 sets of 15 is 30 a session (all our sums). Repeating the movements helps strengthen the muscles and tendons, the page says.
To count how many days it takes to reach your target, use the planner in building up exercise when it hurts.
Three sums — our example
| Case (our example) | To 15 a set | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Start at 2, add 1 every 3 days | 13 increases → 39 days | “A few days” taken as 3 (our example) |
| The 6-week mark | 6 weeks = 42 days | 39 days is inside 6 weeks |
| Daily amount — 2 sets of 8, 2 to 3 times | 32 to 48 a day | The page’s example multiplied out (our sum) |
When to stop and when to get advice — NHS inform
| Topic | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Stop | If the exercises make symptoms worse or cause new pain | — |
| Advice | If your shoulder pain gets worse while following the advice, talk to a healthcare professional | In Korea, orthopaedics or rehabilitation medicine (our gloss) |
| 6 weeks | If it has not improved within 6 weeks, talk to a healthcare professional | 6 weeks = 42 days (our sum) |
Causes of shoulder pain and when to get seen are in shoulder pain.
Checklist
- ☐ A new shoulder problem? Diagnosed or after surgery — your clinician’s advice first
- ☐ Pendulums with a hand on a table or chair
- ☐ Start at 2 to 3, every hour, add 1 or 2 every few days
- ☐ In sets: 8, rest a minute, 8, 2 to 3 times a day, at most 2 sets of 15
- ☐ Pain 0 to 5, no worse next morning; advice if not better within 6 weeks
Questions that remain
How heavy a weight?
Only the side-lying exercise mentions a weight — “a light weight (like a tin of beans) if you like”. No figure in kilograms is given.
Is this for frozen shoulder too?
The page is for new shoulder problems and says people with a diagnosed condition should follow their healthcare professional. It doesn’t cover condition-specific programmes.
Sources
- NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland) — Exercises for shoulder problems — source (no update date shown on the page; checked 27 October 2026). Who it is for, why, at first, safety; 6 exercises (pendulum front-back, side-to-side, circles; lying arm raise; side-lying with a light weight; wall raise); the 0 to 10 scale and 0 to 5; pain after; 2 to 3, every hour, 1 or 2 every few days; the set example (8, a minute, 8, 2 to 3 times a day); at most 2 sets of 15; when to stop; 6 weeks.
- Not read. The 6 videos (titles and lengths did not display); the self-management page (linked only).
- What we added. The exercise names (the page’s video titles did not display, so we named each movement), the “worth noting” column, “our sum”, and the Korean care gloss.
Where to check further
- Orthopaedics or rehabilitation medicine — no better after 6 weeks, or worse.
- A physiotherapist — to check your form.
Written on 27 October 2026. The content is from NHS inform; the glosses are ours.
