The 4 quadrant stretching program is a tried-and-true technique to help with many types of shoulder pain. 

It can help with pain from capsulitis, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff tears, arthritis, bursitis, labral tears, impingement syndrome, biceps problems, fractures and others. It is used in an effort to avoid surgery and, if surgery is needed, after surgery as well.

The 4 quadrant stretching program is made to stretch all parts of the shoulder. These parts include: 1) the front part by the arm pit (anterior inferior) 2) the back part by the arm pit (posterior inferior) 3) the upper part in the back (posterior superior) and 4) the upper part in the front (anterior superior).

The basic program uses 5 stretches. Four of the stretches are made to address each of the shoulder’s four quadrants and one is designed to address all of them at once. A persons therapist will determine which stretch will best help. Sometimes the therapist will remove certain stretches. Other times the therapist will add more stretches.

When doing a stretching session, each stretch should be held for 30 seconds. Each stretch should be done 5 times in a session. That means 25 stretches in each session. The person should do 5 session a day. This means 125 stretches per day.

Stretching of the shoulder should cause pain. If a person is stretching and causing no pain then they are not stretching correctly. With this said, the pain from the stretch should not last longer than 15 minutes. If the pain does last longer than 15 minutes then the person has stretches either too hard or wrong.

This program requires a lot of time. If a person is stretching wrong then they are wasting a lot time. As such it is important that a person be under the guidance of a qualified therapist.