Does your shoulder pop, grind, or click whenever you move it? One moment it’s fine, the next it sends a jolt of pain, or maybe just an unsettling crunch that makes you wonder if you’re causing damage. If you’re constantly worried that every pop means something is tearing, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common fears we hear from clients.

But here’s the good news: that noise doesn’t automatically mean something is torn or broken. In this blog, we’re going to guide you through five simple exercises to address the root causes of that clicking and get you relief.

Quick Reference Guide

• Total Time: 15 Minutes
• Targets: Thoracic Spine, Shoulder Blade, Rotator Cuff, Shoulder Joint
• Goals: Decrease Popping & Grinding, Improve Mobility, Increase Stability

Always listen to your body so that you don’t push through sharp pain. The goal is to move within a comfortable, controlled range.

The 5 Exercises to Get Your Shoulder Back on Track

Here is the five-exercise routine designed to target the key areas driving your shoulder issues.

Exercise 1: Banded Inferior Mobilization

Purpose: This exercise gently creates space in the shoulder joint, giving the ball more room to move without bumping into things.

Equipment Needed: Resistance Band, Dowel (or broomstick)

How to Do It

1. Step on one end of a resistance band and loop the other end over the top of your clicking shoulder so it pulls straight down.
2. Hold a dowel or broomstick with both hands in front of you.
3. Using your good arm to assist, slowly raise the arm with the band overhead into flexion. The band will help pull the “ball” of the joint down, creating space as you move.
4. Return to the start with control.

Sets: Do 2 sets of 12 reps.

Tip: Don’t force the motion into pain. Only move through the range you can comfortably control.

Exercise 2 – Wall Slide

Purpose: To retrain your shoulder blade to move correctly with your arm and thus prevent compensation and sticking.

Equipment Needed: Wall

How to Do It

1. Stand facing a wall with one foot slightly in front of the other.
2. Place your hands on the wall, with your elbows hovering just off the surface.
3. Slowly slide your arms up the wall, allowing your chest to move forward toward the wall at the top.
4. You should feel your shoulder blades gliding up and around your rib cage.

Sets: 2 sets of 10 reps

Tip: If this feels tight at first, don’t worry! That’s the pattern we’re trying to “un-stick.” You should notice you can reach higher by the second set.

Exercise 3 – Banded Open Book

Purpose – Do this exercise to unlock mobility in your thoracic spine (mid-back), which is critical for proper shoulder function.

Equipment Needed: Light Resistance Band, Wall

How to Do It

1. Firmly place a resistance band to a stable point and get into a half-kneeling position with your hip touching a wall.
2. Hold the band with both hands at chest height.
3. Keeping one hand anchored, open your outside arm away from the wall, following your hand with your eyes and rotating through your mid-back.
4. Go as far as you can, then return to the starting position.

Sets: Do 2 sets of 8-10 reps per side.

Tip: Pay attention to any differences between sides. Asymmetry in this movement is often a big reason why clicking only shows up on one shoulder.

Exercise 4: Infinity Hover

Purpose – To build crucial control in the muscles that stabilize your shoulder blade, keeping the “train on the tracks.”

Equipment Needed: None.

How to Do It

1. Lie face down on the floor and completely relax your neck.
2. Lift both arms slightly off the floor.
3. Slowly and deliberately, trace a large, sideways figure-eight (an infinity symbol) in the air with your hands.

Sets: 2-3 sets of 5 reps in each direction

Tip: The goal is to keep your hands off the floor for the entire set. Move slowly to feel the muscles between and below your shoulder blades firing.

Exercise 5 – Banded Extension & External Rotation

Purpose: This exercise is to strengthen the posterior rotator cuff muscles responsible for keeping the shoulder joint centered.

Equipment Needed: Light Mini-Band

How to Do It

1. Stand and place a light mini-band around your wrists behind your back, with your arms straight and hands near your hips.
2. Pull the band apart to create outward (external rotation) tension.
3. While maintaining that tension, move your shoulders slightly back into extension.
4. Return to the start with control. No jerking motions.

Sets: 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps

Tip: You should feel this working between and behind your shoulders, not in your neck. If you feel your neck tensing up, reduce the range of motion.

Getting Back On Track

You now have a powerful routine to get your shoulder back on track. However, you should be consistent and remember that performing these exercises regularly will reinforce good movement patterns in your shoulders. It will also help you to build the shoulder stability you need to keep the clicking in your shoulder at bay.

Also keep in mind that everyone’s root cause for pain, clicking, and popping is slightly different. The best way to fix it for good is to understand which of the “Big Five” areas is the primary driver of your specific issue.