Nearly One Week into Shoulder Rehabilitation — The Power of Recovery Found in Small Changes — Tuesday, July 21, 2026 Reiwa8

Today was a day when I was finally able to organize my thoughts about the rehabilitation I have been working on.

Last Thursday, my arm sling was removed, and my full rehabilitation program began. Today marks the sixth day, and tomorrow will be exactly one week.

At the moment, I practice my rehabilitation exercises three times a day—morning, afternoon, and evening.

The first exercise is performed on an OG Wellness shoulder pulley rehabilitation machine. The resistance is set to Level 2, and I complete 20 repetitions. By alternately pulling with my right and left arms, I gradually improve the range of motion in my shoulder.

After that, I continue the exercises my physical therapist taught me:

- Wall stretching with both hands placed against the wall
- A "window-wiping" exercise, sliding my hands forward across a flat surface
- Shoulder exercises using a rehabilitation stick

The stick exercises include:

- Raising and lowering the stick in front of my body
- Lifting it overhead
- Moving it diagonally to both sides
- Moving it behind my back
- Swinging it gently behind my hips

These exercises help my shoulder move in many different directions.

The most difficult movement is slowly lowering the stick from above my head down behind my back.

At first, I wondered why only this movement felt almost impossible. After learning more about it, I discovered that it requires many functions working together, including external rotation of the shoulder and smooth movement of the shoulder blade. It is considered one of the most difficult exercises after surgery for a proximal humerus fracture.

Instead of forcing the movement to its full range, I learned that it is better to lower the stick only as far as I can without significant pain, pause briefly, and then return to the starting position. Knowing this made me feel much more relaxed.

"I reached this far today."

"I moved just a little farther than yesterday."

I realized that these small improvements are what truly matter.

The happiest moment today came unexpectedly.

While washing my hair, I noticed that my left hand moved a little more easily.

Even tying my hair had become easier. At first, I could only tie it on the left side of my head, but today I was able to tie it closer to the center.

Although I sometimes feel that I am making little progress, these small improvements in everyday activities remind me that my body is quietly recovering in ways I cannot always see.

My orthopedic surgeon told me, "You should be able to swim again in about three months."

Of course, I have no intention of rushing.

First, I want to become comfortable in the water again. Then I hope to gradually regain the movement and strength in my shoulder.

Someday, when I can swim comfortably again, I would love to challenge myself by swimming the butterfly stroke once more.

Until then, I will continue moving forward one day at a time, cherishing every small step of progress.

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