I’m 22 months down the road and upset today because physio says my shoulder has a subluxation again also when I walk my weak arm lifts and swings a lot in front of me . Feeling disheartened she said my arm was an associated reaction and to do with tone ?any advice ?best wishes to u all
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Sorry to hear this. I don’t have any advice, but, continue persevering, for setbacks are an inevitable part of our journeys, and I understand the profound discouragement they may bring. Receive my warmest wishes for your continued recovery and progress.
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Hasn’t physio given you any muscle strengthening exercises for the shoulder that might help hold it better in place or even a cuff for it? I know you can get all sorts of supports for this on the internet but don’t how comfortable they are to wear.
You’ll find a number of machines at the gym for shoulder strengthening and maybe increase the number of days you go. And maybe increase your protein intake a bit to feed and grow those muscles 
So get on the Lat pulldown and reverse delt fly to but a few of the machines you could use to help tone it up. But whatever you do, don’t give up.
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@christine2 shoulders are absolute buggers - your physio is the person to help you with this im sure, perhaps a referral to a shoulder specialist within the MSK team at your local hospital might be helpful. My shoulder was frozen for a year and with just 2 sessions with the specialist ive got 75% movement back passively. Good luck getting sorted x
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That’s interesting @TRFCANDY53
Mine was frozen too and I only needed a couple of physical manipulations from the shoulder specialist to get it moving The guy knew what he was doing and it certainly made a difference but that was frozen shoulder rather than the subluxation.
There are a couple of women on YouTube Elisa’s one and Tara is another one and I put thread on my stroke guide with both their channel links in it.
Tara was doing a video this week or last week on getting the arm moving backward .
@christine2 also interesting that you get linked movement or at least I think that’s what you’re saying between your arm and walking.
it’s linked movement that is one of the challenges I’m trying to break through at the moment. When I try and do things it invokes tone or spasticity and I can’t get my physiotherapist to get beyond her own conviction that I’m not doing anything and I’m suffering muscle shortening she couldn’t be further from correct. I haven’t found exercises yet a specifically aimed at breaking a link yet but I am gonna find some even if I am inventing it myself
Simon
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Elyse Newlands videos on YouTube are great Simon i totally agree.
My physio is convinced my left arm and shoulder is affecting my balance which in turn means my right dominant side is getting more involved with walking than it would normally be.
Im seeing 2 different physios now, they were talking about dilation surgery on my shoulder but thankfully, no longer as there is movement in my shoulder at last. Hydrotherapy pool exercises are helping enormously - ive made up my own routine and now also on the recumbent bike at the gym!!!
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Thanku all for your replies and best wishes x I’m feeling a bit brighter today 
shoulder feeling bit better and doing some passive movements I ve got an appointment to see stroke consultant on 18 July so will discuss my swinging arm with him . Not that he’s ever very receptive to problems … personality of a frozen pea 
onwards and upwards got to keep trying to go forward like we all do x take care
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A thraband round the door handle was one of my early shoulder freeing exercise mechanisms
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@christine2 glad you’re feeling brighter today. Your description of your stroke consultant made me giggle 
xx
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I have the same problem with my right arm and leg. My arm is fine until I walk, then it bends and leans forward. It’s mostly affected by spasticity in my bicep and abnormal synergy patterns (Tara Tobias has items relating to this - see Rehab HQ on YouTube). My shoulder is OK now, but some muscles are still weak. After 9 years I still can’t raise my arm above shoulder height, but I’m not far off it now. I wouldn’t have got this far without the help of some good physios and an ARNI trainer.
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Sorry to hear your challenges. Associated reaction is a result of postural weakness - think exercises and manipulation of muslces are essential to reduce this (took me a lots of training and years of practice to understand this). Shoulder subluxation is different aspect to above- certain exercises can help but becareful about using theraband - only use if given by physio.
Kusal Stroke OT
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Sorry, I meant truck exercisesm not think exercises 
@Kusal
Generally speaking if we waited for the “given by physio” we will all be hopelessly wheelchair-bound and fed by somebody else I’m afraid you’re given by a physio isn’t realistic .
An hours intervention once a month on a single aspect is a long way short of what somebody living 740 integrated hours a month needs
why do you think it has to be “given by a physio” d’you think I’m going to do damage to myself with a thera band that is in anyway a risk beyond worth taking when I don’t have a functioning arm?yes there’s a risk but the condition that one’s living with is below that threshold way way way below that threshold
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Once a month is not enough, I understand you will have to what you can on your own to regain life, as far as practical. I completely agree with you. Yesterday I was typing all wrong, I was meant to say trunk exercise. Therapband is a great tool but if not use coorrectly can increase shoulder/chest tightness and reduce function further. That’s why I suggested consulting a physio, no other reason. But you are right, if you do nothing it is not going to work,
Wishing you all the best.
Kusal Das, Specialist Stroke OT
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I totally agree with this statement, as I was doing further damage to my shoulder by the way I was lifting or pulling things, raising my shoulder, putting all the strain on it instead of the muscle in my arm. One could ask the physio specifically about the bands or safety of certain exercises to be informed to make a better choice. For me, the finger crawl up the wall got my arm to finally start going above my head, and I was only allowed to lightly pull at the bands with my arms down at my sides or bent at the elbow. They were very specific. It doesn’t make sense until they explain it to you. Never hurts to ask about something you have seen that you think might help, perhaps they will endorse it.
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Thanks DeAnn for sharing your experience.
Wishing you all the best.
Kind regards
Kusal , Stroke OT
Hi Christine I bumped into this thread it resonates with me has there been any progression on the swinging shoulder
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Hi there . My shoulder is a lot better after wearing a support while walking . My weak arm and hand still lif and swing in front of me which sometimes knocks me off balance a bit . 
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This is perhaps too much information
But when I walk if I don’t think about it my affected arm curls at the elbow and I guess at the shoulder to hang in front of me and then it bumps into me on each step just at the ‘wrong’ point
I suppose the silver lining with that is it is apainful motivation and a constant reminder to try and adjust where it hangs, in fact adjust it to swing like it used to as a counterbalance to the shifting weight. I know it doesn’t because I now have a pain that emanates from the ball of my big toe on my right foot because of my gait the change
Oh dear, stroke, the gift that keeps giving…
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