A Real-Time Look at Shoulder Injury Recovery (Part 1)
Shoulder injury recovery requires balancing protection and progressive loading, especially when there is a prior history like a SLAP tear. This two week update follows the early phases of healing after a hard fall, outlining how breathing, closed chain work, isometrics, and controlled range of motion restored mobility and confidence.
The process highlights how the nervous system drives protection, how thoracic mobility influences shoulder motion, and why rebuilding the brain’s joint map is essential for long term resilience. It mirrors the same movement sessions I use with clients to assess what the body is guarding and rebuild strength without rushing timelines.
Recovery is not linear, but intentional progression, circulation, and graded exposure to load create lasting stability. For those navigating a setback, this perspective offers a realistic look at healing while staying active and supported.
Read time 8 min
Definitely Didn’t Have This on My Bingo Card for 2026…
If you don’t follow me on Instagram yet (go follow 👉 @bethdrayermovement), I’ve been sharing this journey there in real time.
But I wanted to document it here as well — both for myself, and for anyone navigating their own injury.
How My Shoulder Injury Happened
On January 2nd, I went ice skating with some friends.
I’ll be the first to say I’m not a phenomenal skater, but I can skate.
I’ve been skating my whole life. I own my own skates. I skated every Friday night my freshman and sophomore years of college. I don’t do jumps or spins, I stay in the designated circle… left turns only, NASCAR-style.
I don’t know what happened, but I fell. And I fell hard.
I landed mostly on my left side. My left hip was sore for a few days, my left wrist took some impact, and somehow my left shoulder got jacked.
It hurt immediately, the kind of pain that makes you nauseous and instantly guarded. I didn’t want to move it at all.
Why My Shoulder History Matters
(History always matters.)
About 26 years ago, I fell on my left shoulder and sustained a SLAP tear.
A SLAP tear is a tear in the labrum, the cartilage ring that helps hold the humeral head (arm bone) in the shoulder socket. There’s also often associated damage to the biceps tendon where it attaches to the labrum and bone.
For years after that injury, overhead movements never felt stable. I avoided them.
It wasn’t until about the last 10 years that I intentionally rebuilt overhead strength, and thankfully, haven’t had any issues.
So when this fall happened, that history immediately mattered.
The First 24 Hours after Shoulder Injury
When I got home, the first thing I did was tape my shoulder.
I used Heali tape, which I had on hand. I get samples all the time but rarely have injuries to truly test them. This tape contains menthol, so it creates a cooling, slightly tingly sensation, which honestly felt way better than the pain.
I taped it for two main reasons:
1. Supporting the Healing Process
The stretch built into kinesiology tape gently lifts the skin and underlying tissue, helping improve local circulation. During an acute injury, we want inflammation, it clears damaged tissue and brings in nutrients for healing. The tape supports that process.
2. Biofeedback & Safety
The tape provides sensory input to the nervous system. That input helps the brain feel safer, and the safer the brain feels, the faster we can restore range of motion (ROM) and function.
The First Few Days: Very Limited Movement
The next couple days I didn’t do much.
The pain wasn’t sharp or shooting, but I’d get a sudden jolt if I moved “wrong.” Thankfully, it still felt stable, no slipping or giving-way sensations like I had years ago.
Most of the tenderness was at the front of the shoulder.
Daily life was… humbling:
Had to bend over to wash my hair
Couldn’t reach my back pocket
Opening and closing the car door? Nope!
I used my right hand to flip my turn signal while driving
Early Shoulder Injury Rehab: Days 1–3
Day 1 Rehab: Safety First
By Monday, it was time to get to work.
The goal was simple: keep my brain feeling safe.
I started with:
Breathing
Gentle nerve activation
Scapular (shoulder blade) movements
Then I progressed to closed-chain movements, where the hand stays planted and the body moves around the shoulder instead of the arm moving freely.
Closed-chain work creates a ton of safety because:
The arm isn’t hanging under gravity
The joint doesn’t have to control the weight of the arm
The brain perceives more stability
Surprisingly, this felt really good and allowed more ROM than I expected.
I also added isometric contractions, contracting the muscles without movement (pushing into the wall or floor).
Important note:
✔ No pain with muscle contraction = strong sign that no muscle or tendon was torn.
Pain during contraction often indicates soft-tissue injury.
If I were a client coming in to see me for this type of injury, I would normally start with the LTAP (Locator Test Assessment Protocol) to help identify what the body is protecting and where to begin treatment.
In this case, I couldn’t physically reach behind me to get into the proper testing position, which meant I wouldn’t get a reliable result. So instead of forcing an assessment that wouldn’t be accurate, I started with foundational work to address possible neural tension patterns as well as visceral influences. This is why I led with things that would help my nervous system feel safe.
👉 Check out my IG Reel to see what Day 1 rehab looked like.
Rehab Days 2–3: Repeat What Works
Day 2:
Soft tissue work to support circulation and reduce guarding
Repeated everything from Day 1 because it felt good
👉 Watch it all on IG.
Day 3:
Same plan
No need to change what’s working
Day 4: Momentum Builds
Things started moving noticeably better.
Wins:
Washed my hair normally
Put my hair in a ponytail with ease
Progressions:
Added nerve-focused movements to reduce sensitivity
Wall push-ups (felt great!)
Arms started swinging overhead again
Added core work — the shoulder needs a stable foundation
👉 Watch it all on IG.
Days 5–7: Shoulder Rehab Progress; Testing the Waters (Maybe Too Soon)
Day 5:
I played pickleball.
I stuck to a one-handed backhand and tried to be smart. Honestly? It was fine, except for one overhead I jumped for. The counter-rotation of my left shoulder didn’t love that.
Nothing got worse though, which was a win.
Day 6:
ROM continued improving
Still using my right hand for turn signals
Added more ROM and progressed strength
Continued prioritizing closed-chain work
👉 Watch it all on IG.
Day 7:
More pickleball… then I decided to pause.
Nothing bad happened, but there’s no real reason to push it right now.
Found myself doing things unconsciously that just don’t need to be doing.
Days 8–11: Controlling Range of Motion
Day 8: Thoracic Mobility Matters
Limited thoracic (mid-back) mobility limits shoulder mobility, so wanted to start to address this BEFORE it becomes a problem
The seated twist is one of my favorites.
Also started to use my Fringe Red Light Wrap to help with the tissue healing process. Totally forgot I had this, otherwise would have started sooner!
👉 Watch it all on IG.
Day 9: Addressing the Sticky Spot
Horizontal internal rotation remained the most limited and uncomfortable. I focused on:
Isometrics for safety and control
Activating external rotators to gain internal rotation
Wall circles (tracking progress by marking the floor!)
A week earlier, I couldn’t do these at all.
👉 Watch it all on IG.
Day 11: End-Range Control
Using a stick allowed me to:
Connect left-arm movement to the right side
Increase safety and confidence
Access end-range positions without discomfort
Ground-based work allowed nearly full internal rotation because gravity and stability were controlled.
I also added side planks — closed-chain + core = a two-for-one I love.
👉 Watch it all on IG.
Two-Week Update: Where I Am Now
I’m exactly two weeks out.
Big wins:
ROM has improved significantly
I can drive and use my turn signal with my left hand again
Rowing felt good at the gym
I haven't been able to run, the arm swing hurt and it’s not worth messing up my run right now as well…but hopefully this will change in the very near future….I miss running.
What’s Next In My Shoulder Injury Rehab….
Moving forward, my focus is on:
Continued ROM work
Lots of circles (huge for restoring the brain’s joint map)
Gradually adding light load once ROM is ~90% or better
Slowly rebuilding strength
Circles matter because when you’re injured, the brain’s map of that joint becomes “blurry.” Circles help sharpen that map, and they’re a natural movement pattern we want to restore.
I had been making great upper-body strength progress since summer, and I plan to get back there, slowly and intentionally.
I’ll check back in with another update in a few weeks
In the meantime, if you’d like to follow along in real time, head over to @bethdrayermovement on Instagram.
Need Help With Your Own Shoulder Injury?
If you’ve been working on shoulder your shoulder pain but progress feels slow, or the pain keeps coming back, it may be a sign that the body is protecting something deeper.
Shoulder injuries rarely exist in isolation. The rib cage, thoracic spine, nervous system, and even surrounding tissues can influence how the shoulder moves and heals.
During my 90-minute movement assessment, I look at how your entire system is working together to determine why your body may still be holding onto a protective pattern.
If you live in the South Bay and want to better understand why your shoulder isn’t improving the way it should, you can learn more about my approach HERE
Or you give me a call and we can discuss further how I can help YOU!
Continue Learning: What to read Next
If you’re currently working through a shoulder injury, these articles may help you better understand the recovery process.
The 3 Best Chest Opener Exercises
Recovery rarely follows a straight line. This article explains why symptoms can improve, flare up, and improve again during the healing process.
2. Injury Recovery Isnt Just Rest How To Heal And Get Back To Performance
Many people assume the best way to recover from injury is to stop moving completely. In . reality, the right kind of movement is often essential for proper healing
3. Why Rehab Is Rarely A Straight Line And How I Guide You Through It
A simple mobility drill that can help reduce tension in the chest and shoulders, especially
helpful for desk workers and athletes.