Pain guide · Shoulder pain

Shoulder pain when doing lateral raises: the rotator cuff, height, angle, thumbs and what helps

Shoulder pain when you do lateral raises, side raises, cable raises or front raises usually comes from one of a few places, and where it hurts is the best clue. A pinch on the outside or front of the shoulder as your arm nears shoulder height usually comes from the rotator cuff (often called impingement); pain you can cover with one finger on top, at the end of the collarbone, from the AC joint (where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade); a tender groove at the front from the biceps tendon; and an ache from the top of the shoulder into the neck from the trapezius muscle. No study counts how often each is the cause. How high you raise, the angle and your thumbs may matter: to shoulder height, slightly in front of your body, with your thumbs level or slightly up, is our suggestion for a sore shoulder, though the evidence is thin. Lateral raises aren't bad for shoulders: an NHS rehab booklet uses them for rotator cuff pain, built up step by step.

This guide starts with the signs that need help, from accident and emergency (A&E) for a shoulder that looks out of place after a fall, and a 999 call for chest pain that feels tight or spreads to your arm, to a same-day check through the National Health Service's 111 line (NHS 111) or a general practitioner (GP) for sudden weakness lifting your arm or a hot, swollen shoulder. It then maps the causes by where it hurts, explains what the studies show, and don't, about height, angle and thumb position and why a scan rarely helps at first, shows how to change your raise today, and gives a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move, from band raises and rotator cuff work back to your usual raises.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 55 sourcesUpdated 28 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E: after a fall or injury, your shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape, you cannot move your arm, or your shoulder is painful, bruised or swollen. Do not drive yourself, and do not try to put it back in yourself.
Call 999: shoulder or arm pain with chest pain that feels tight or squeezing, or chest pain that spreads to your arms, neck or jaw, especially with shortness of breath, sweating or feeling sick. It could be a heart attack.
Get help from NHS 111: pain or tightness in your chest, neck, shoulders, jaw or arms that comes and goes, often brought on by exercise, stress, emotion or cold and easing after a few minutes' rest. It can be angina, a sign of a heart problem. If you've been diagnosed with angina, get help from NHS 111 too if it feels worse than before, is happening more often, lasts longer or happens when you're resting.
Call 999: you suddenly can't fully lift both arms and keep them there, because of weakness or numbness in one arm, especially if one side of your face droops or you slur your words or sound confused. It could be a stroke. Call even if the signs have stopped.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): sudden weakness lifting the arm after an injury or fall. A rotator cuff tear caused by an injury needs urgent referral to a shoulder specialist. After a dislocation in anyone over 40, the rotator cuff should be checked: about 40% have a tear.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): a sudden pop or snap with pain at the shoulder or upper arm during a lift, with or without a bulge low in the upper arm. It's usually a torn long head of the biceps. Most need no operation, but the rotator cuff can tear at the same time.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): sudden or very bad shoulder pain; you cannot move your arm; the arm or shoulder is badly swollen or has changed shape; pins and needles that do not go away; no feeling in the arm; the arm is hot or cold to the touch; pain that started after an injury such as a fall; or severe pain in both shoulders.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): the shoulder or arm is hot, swollen or red, or you have a high temperature (although not everyone has one) or feel unwell. A joint infection needs same-day care.
Same day (call NHS 111, or go to A&E if you feel very unwell): after a big or unusual session, such as hundreds of pull-ups, push-ups, dips or curls, a challenge or a new class, muscle pain, swelling or weakness far worse than the session explains, and dark pee (red, brown, tea or cola coloured), sometimes starting hours or days later. Dark pee isn't always there, so muscles far sorer, more swollen or weaker than the session explains still need the same-day check. It can be rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle that can harm the kidneys.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Pain that is getting worse or has not improved after 2 weeks of looking after it yourself, or it is very hard to move your arm. In many areas you can refer yourself to physiotherapy.
Not improving after a good 3 months of exercise, or the arm is clearly weak: ask for a specialist opinion.
Pain on top of the shoulder with no injury that hasn't eased after 6 to 12 weeks of changing your training: ask a GP or physiotherapist for an assessment.
Painful clicking or snapping at the front of the shoulder, or a feeling of something slipping there. The tendon can slip out of its groove, usually alongside a rotator cuff tear, so ask for an assessment.
Your shoulder has partly or fully come out of joint, or you worry it might.
Pins and needles or a cold arm alongside neck pain, or a new loss of strength or feeling in the arm that you cannot explain (a possible nerve problem).
A past history of cancer, an unexplained lump or swelling, weight loss, or pain that is constant and does not ease when you change position.
See a GP if you have pain and stiffness for more than a week, especially if you're over 50, it's in both shoulders (often the neck and hips too) and the stiffness lasts longer than 45 minutes in the morning. It can be polymyalgia rheumatica.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

The outside or front of the shoulder and upper arm, a pinch or ache partway up (about 70 to 120 degrees), easing above or below it; sometimes at night or lying on it

Usually rotator cuff pain, often called impingement: the commonest cause of shoulder pain.

Read: Shoulder impingement (rotator cuff pain) →One spot on top, at the end of the collarbone, that you can cover with a finger; worse with heavy or high arm work, a bag on that shoulder or reaching across your body

The AC joint.

Read: AC joint injury and pain →A tender groove at the front of the shoulder, worse with front raises and overhead lifting

Often the long head of the biceps tendon, usually alongside the rotator cuff.

Read: Biceps tendinitis (shoulder) →The top of the shoulder into the side of the neck, worse when you shrug through the raise

Usually the upper trapezius and neck muscles.

Read: Neck and shoulder pain →An even ache at the side of both shoulders a day or two after a new or harder session, easing day by day

Muscle soreness.

Read: Shoulder pain after a workout →Pain lifting the arm in everyday life, not just in the gym (a high shelf, washing your hair)

Our lifting your arm guide sorts the causes.

Read: Shoulder pain lifting your arm →Pain mainly on overhead presses

Our overhead press guide covers it.

Read: Shoulder pain overhead pressing →Sudden weakness lifting the arm after a jerking heavy rep or a fall, sometimes with a snap

Possibly a rotator cuff tear: get it checked the same day, as the warning signs say.

Read: Rotator cuff tear →A sudden pop with a bulge low in the upper arm

Possibly a torn long head of the biceps: get it checked the same day, as the warning signs say.

Read: Biceps tendinitis (shoulder) →A clunk, a dead arm or a feeling that the shoulder will slip

Possibly a loose shoulder: stop that position and get it checked soon.

Read: Shoulder dislocation and instability →Stiff in every direction, or a deep ache with grinding from about 60

Possibly frozen shoulder or arthritis.

Read: Frozen shoulder →From the neck down the arm, with pins and needles, numbness or a cold arm

A nerve in the neck.

Read: Pinched nerve in the neck →The front of the shoulder in general, not just in raises

Our front of the shoulder guide maps the spot.

Read: Front of shoulder pain →

Shoulder or arm pain with chest pain, breathlessness, sweating or feeling sick, or discomfort that comes with effort and eases with rest

Possibly the heart: see the warning signs.

Understand it

What a lateral raise asks of the shoulder, and what no study has countedEmerging evidence

A lateral raise lifts the arm out to the side against a weight that is heaviest for the shoulder when the arm is level with it. The middle deltoid does most of the work, helped by the supraspinatus (the rotator cuff muscle on top) and the upper trapezius, which a lateral raise drove to 97% of its maximum with only 3 to 10 kg in 12 women with trapezius pain. As the arm rises, the shoulder blade turns and tips back, and in 12 volunteers the gap under the acromion (the bony roof of the shoulder) narrowed from 7.0 mm at 30 degrees to 3.9 mm at 120 degrees.

The arm passes through the range that brings out rotator cuff pain: a UK pathway from the British Elbow and Shoulder Society (BESS) describes pain "made worse by shoulder level or overhead activities", and a GP review puts the painful arc at about 70 to 120 degrees.

No study counts shoulder pain caused by lateral raises. The one study of lifters is a snapshot: in 77 men, 46 of them weight trainers, signs of impingement went with lateral raises and upright rows taken above 90 degrees, and less often with training the muscles that turn the arm out; it gives no effect size and can't show cause. In a 2025 trial of 24 trained lifters, "some participants" had shoulder pain with strict side raises and were allowed to raise partway towards the scapular plane (in line with the shoulder blade). Up to 36% of resistance-training injuries are at the shoulder, mostly from surveys. So the map on this page is built from what each condition is known to do; that the pain comes when the load or a jump in it gets ahead of the shoulder is our reading, not a counted fact.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Where it hurts: the rotator cuff, the AC joint, the biceps and the trapeziusEmerging evidence

Rotator cuff pain is the commonest cause of shoulder pain, about 70% of cases according to the authors of a large UK trial. The NHS describes "pain at the top and the outside of your shoulder", worse when you lift your arm, "especially when you lift it above your head", sometimes at night.

Pain on top "where the collarbone and shoulder joint meet" points to the AC joint. An NHS leaflet names "Repeated heavy or high arm work" and reaching across the body among the things that make it worse. The cross-body test was the most sensitive (77%) in one surgical series, but every test had a low positive predictive value, so examination gives a pointer, not proof. Weightlifter's shoulder (wear at the end of the collarbone) was found in 28% of 25 competitive weightlifters and is linked mainly with bench pressing; no study links it to raises.

A tender groove at the front points to the long head of the biceps, whose pain "worsens with overhead lifting" and usually comes alongside other shoulder problems. Front raises load it more than side raises (our reading). An ache from the top of the shoulder into the neck is usually the upper trapezius, which works hard in raises, and a thumbs-down pour raises its work further.

Sources 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 6, 4

What a scan shows, and what it doesn'tStrong evidence

The BESS pathway says rotator cuff pain "is a clinical diagnosis. Additional imaging is not essential to confirm the diagnosis or start treatment." An X-ray matters after an injury, with warning signs, severe pain or stiffness, or pain lasting beyond about 4 weeks; an ultrasound or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan is for ongoing symptoms or a suspected tear, and ultrasound depends on the skill of the person doing it. A tear caused by an injury needs urgent referral, ideally to the next available specialist clinic. An NHS trust says that in most cases scans "are not required".

Read reports with care. In 96 people without shoulder pain, MRI showed rotator cuff tears in 34% (54% of those over 60); across 6,112 shoulders, rotator cuff changes rose from 9.7% at 20 or younger to 62% at 80 or older, with or without symptoms; and in a village screening, 65.3% of full-thickness tears caused no symptoms.

Sources 9, 27, 24, 25, 26, 20, 28, 29, 30

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

No study follows shoulder pain from lateral raises. In 349 people with new shoulder pain in general practice, 23% had recovered at 1 month and 59% at a year, and neck pain at the same time went with a slower course. The BESS pathway calls rotator cuff pain "usually a self-limiting condition" with most symptoms responding within three months, and refers people not improving by 12 weeks. The NHS says shoulder pain usually takes 2 weeks of looking after it to start easing and "can take 6 months or longer to recover"; an NHS booklet says about half settles in about 6 months, and another says it can take a minimum of 12 weeks to improve.

AC joint problems "usually resolve with rest and simple analgesia", and most people need no surgery. No one can promise a date.

Sources 31, 9, 16, 14, 27, 10, 17

Rare but serious: the heart, a dislocation, a torn tendon and infectionEmerging evidence

The heart can show up as shoulder or arm pain, often the left, and "left shoulder pain when doing lateral raises" is a common search. The NHS sends chest pain that feels tight or squeezing, or chest pain that spreads to the arms, neck or jaw, to 999, and arm or chest discomfort that comes on with effort and eases with rest needs NHS 111. A shoulder that looks out of place after a fall goes to A&E.

A rotator cuff tear can follow lifting "something too heavy with a jerking motion", with intense pain and "immediate weakness"; a tear caused by an injury needs urgent referral. A hot, swollen or red shoulder, especially if you feel unwell, can be a joint infection. Muscle breakdown after a big, unaccustomed session is rare; in one Norwegian hospital series most cases involved the arms after strength training.

Sources 32, 33, 24, 26, 34, 35

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Exercise is the treatment for rotator cuff painStrong evidence

In 102 people with long-lasting rotator cuff pain who were waiting for surgery, specific rotator cuff and shoulder-blade exercises gave a successful result in 69% against 24% with general exercise, and fewer chose surgery (20% against 63%). In a UK trial of 708 adults with new rotator cuff pain, one physiotherapy session of advice with home exercises did as well over a year as up to six sessions of progressive exercise, which trained resisted turning out, raising forwards and raising to the side.

The size of the benefit is less certain: progressive resisted exercise against a placebo or no treatment gave an "uncertain clinical benefit" in 7 trials (468 people, low certainty), and one self-managed exercise did as well as usual physiotherapy in 86 people.

Sources 36, 13, 37, 38

Lateral raises are used to treat shoulder and neck painStrong evidence

An NHS rotator cuff booklet's third exercise is a weighted side raise: a doorway press first, then a bent-elbow side raise, then a straight-arm side raise "as far as comfortable", 3 sets building from 5 to 15 repetitions, with pain kept at 4 out of 10 or less.

In 198 workers with frequent neck and shoulder pain, 2 minutes a day of elastic band training, 5 days a week for 10 weeks, cut pain by 1.4 points out of 10 against health information, and 12 minutes a day by 1.9 points. The trial's main report doesn't name the exercise; two later reports from the same trial say it was a lateral raise in line with the shoulder blade, done as one set to failure (2 minutes) or 5 to 6 sets of 8 to 12 (12 minutes). In 48 women with trapezius pain, 10 weeks of specific strength training cut their worst pain by about 79%; a later report from that trial lists dumbbell shoulder abduction (a lateral raise) among its five exercises. One hour a week of dumbbell training including lateral raises eased neck pain in 447 office workers. These were desk workers with muscle pain rather than lifters, and the exercise names come from those secondary reports, but they show raises can be part of the treatment.

Sources 14, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44

Thumb position: what the lab studies showMixed evidence

In 22 healthy people raising about 1.85 kg in line with the shoulder blade, the supraspinatus worked the same with the thumb up or down, while the middle deltoid worked harder thumb down (77% against 52% of its maximum); two other studies of 15 people found no difference between the positions and that neither singles out the supraspinatus. In 10 bodybuilders, thumbs down shifted work to the back of the shoulder, the upper trapezius and the triceps.

Thumbs down tipped the shoulder blade forward and turned it in more at almost every angle in 20 people, which the authors read as less room for the tendon. With the arm held at 90 degrees and turned fully in, the force on the ligament that roofs the shoulder was about 21 newtons against 3 or less with the arm neutral or turned out (13 people). At 90 degrees the gap itself was wider with the arm turned in, but its narrowest point then sat over the front of the supraspinatus tendon. None of these studies measured pain, so thumbs level or slightly up is a reasonable choice for a sore shoulder, not a proven fix.

Sources 5, 47, 48, 4, 45, 46, 8

Height: one snapshot study against an NHS bookletMixed evidence

The case for stopping at shoulder height rests on one cross-sectional study, read only as an abstract: signs of impingement went with raises above 90 degrees in weight trainers, with no effect size given. An expert column advises taking upright rows only "just below 90°", and lower if it hurts, and a US hospital handout bans standing lateral raises altogether and suggests bent-over or face-down raises instead.

Against that, an NHS rotator cuff booklet raises "as far as comfortable", and the shoulder is built to go overhead. So this guide says stop at shoulder height, or below the painful point, while the shoulder is sore, and treats that as a cautious rule for now, not a lifelong ban.

Sources 1, 49, 50, 14, 8

The scapular plane, bands and cablesEmerging evidence

No study has compared raising straight out to the side with raising slightly forward, in line with the shoulder blade, for pain or the space under the acromion; in bone-pin measurements, the collarbone and shoulder blade moved much alike in all three directions of raising. The trials for neck and shoulder pain used the forward angle, and a 2025 trial let lifters with pain raise midway towards it, so it is a comfort choice.

Elastic tubing and dumbbells drew similar muscle activity at matched effort in 16 women with neck and shoulder pain, and dumbbell and cable raises grew the deltoid equally in 24 lifters, so a band or cable is a fair swap.

Sources 7, 40, 2, 51

Injections and surgeryStrong evidence

A steroid injection helped a little at 8 weeks but not over 12 months in the large UK trial, and the BESS pathway says one injection can be considered if the pain isn't improving by 6 to 8 weeks. Decompression surgery, which shaves bone to "make room", did no better than a placebo operation in 313 people at 6 months or than diagnostic keyhole surgery in 210 people at 2 years, and the pathway doesn't recommend it first. Arthritis UK says impingement is "nothing to do with your tendons being trapped by bones".

Sources 13, 9, 52, 53, 54

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, back to where it was by your next sessionEmerging evidence

This guide uses the shoulder hub's rule, as our overhead press, bench press and pull-up guides do. During shoulder strengthening, pain up to about 5 out of 10 is acceptable, and a little is expected. By your next session it should be back to where it was before. If it isn't, use a lighter band or weight or a smaller range next time, not nothing. It comes from the trial of 102 people above, whose patients were not allowed to go above 5 out of 10 but were encouraged to feel some pain, with any rise settled before the next session or the load came down. NHS inform's shoulder exercises use the same band (0 to 3 minimal, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive) and add that pain should be no worse the morning after.

The NHS booklet that uses the side raise is stricter: don't let pain go above 4 out of 10, settling within a few hours and not disturbing sleep. Another NHS trust says pain should be tolerable and settle shortly after. The BESS pathway says the best threshold is unclear.

For raises (our suggestion, built on the same rule): choose the height, angle, thumb position, load and tool (band, cable or dumbbell) where the last reps stay at 5 out of 10 or less and the shoulder is back to its usual level by the next session; if it isn't, go back a step, not to nothing. A feeling of slipping or a dead arm, pins and needles or numbness down the arm, and a pop, sudden weakness, a bulge in the arm or chest pain aren't pain-rule questions: stop and get them checked.

Sources 36, 55, 14, 27, 9

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Keep training, below the painful arc

About weeks 0 to 2: rotator cuff and shoulder-blade work from day one, and a raise that stays below the painful point. No raises above shoulder height, no upright rows and no sets to failure for now. With a diagnosed condition (a rotator cuff tear, an AC joint injury or weightlifter's shoulder, biceps tendon pain, a loose shoulder), that guide's plan comes first; after surgery, the surgical team's plan does.

Standing band external rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 15, light band, elbow at your side, twice a day, within the pain rule · The sets, repetitions and frequency the trial of 102 people used for its rotator cuff exercises; the exercise is our choice, as in our impingement guide. If 15 hurts, start with NHS inform's 2 to 3 repetitions at a time

Easier: Stick-assisted external rotation (lying) · Harder: Side-lying external rotation

Scaption raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoScaption raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

3 sets of 15, thumbs up, raised only to just below the painful point and no higher than shoulder height, lowering over about 3 s · The sets and repetitions the trial of 102 people used; the exercise is our choice, as in our impingement and press guides

Easier: Band lateral raise · Harder: Smith machine upright row

Band lateral raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand lateral raiseBeginner · A band

2 minutes a day, 5 days a week, as one steady set, slightly in front of your body, below the painful point · The daily dose and exercise of the trial in 198 workers (elastic lateral raises in line with the shoulder blade, as two later reports from it describe); the trial went to failure with no height limit, so the pain rule and the height cap are our changes

Harder: Dumbbell lateral raise

3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 10 to 15, stopping 2 to 3 reps short of failure · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

Scapular push-up (push-up plus) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoScapular push-up (push-up plus)Beginner · No equipment

2 to 3 sets of 10, on a wall or bench first · As in our bench press guide (editorial)

Easier: Dumbbell shoulder-blade punch · Harder: Push-up

Move on when: Daily life and the stage 1 moves pass the pain rule for a week, and raising your arm to shoulder height without a weight is comfortable or within the pain rule (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Build the cuff and the raise

About weeks 2 to 6, 3 to 5 days a week: stronger outward rotators and shoulder-blade muscles, and side raises with a load that is heaviest low in the range, building towards shoulder height.

Side-lying external rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide-lying external rotationBeginner · A dumbbell

3 sets of 15, once a day, lowering over about 3 s · The trial's sets and repetitions; it moved to once a day from week 8. As in our impingement guide

Easier: Standing band external rotation · Harder: Cuban rotation

Side-lying incline lateral raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide-lying incline lateral raiseBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 each side, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point. Lying on an incline bench makes the raise heaviest near the bottom, away from the painful arc (our reading)

Easier: Dumbbell lateral raise · Harder: Barbell front raise to overhead

Seated cable lateral raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSeated cable lateral raiseBeginner · A cable machine + A bench or box

2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15, light, to just below shoulder height · Editorial. A cable lets the load rise in small steps; cable and dumbbell raises built the deltoid equally in a trial

Easier: Band lateral raise · Harder: Smith machine upright row

Prone Y-T-W raises demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoProne Y-T-W raisesBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 rounds of 8 · As in our impingement guide (editorial). Keep the neck long, as the move page says

Easier: Wall angel · Harder: Bent-over reverse fly

3D demoFace pullIntermediate · A band

3 sets of 12 to 15 · As in our impingement guide (editorial). Training the muscles that turn the arm out went with fewer impingement signs in lifters

Easier: Prone Y-T-W raises · Harder: Tuck back lever

Move on when: 3 sets of 12 to 15 cable or incline raises pass the pain rule, with the shoulder back to its usual level by the next session, for a week (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Back to your usual raises

From about week 6, often later: the standing dumbbell raise to shoulder height, then your usual load, one change at a time, by the written steps below. No study has tested a return to lateral raises after shoulder pain, so the order is editorial, apart from the NHS booklet's raise.

Dumbbell lateral raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell lateral raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

3 sets, starting at 5 reps and building to 15, with 2 or 3 reps in reserve, 3 to 5 sessions a week, pain no higher than 4 out of 10; to shoulder height, thumbs level or slightly up · An NHS rotator cuff booklet, whose level three is a straight-arm side raise "as far as comfortable" at this dose; the height cap and thumb position follow our lateral raise guide

Easier: Band lateral raise · Harder: Smith machine upright row

Supported one-arm lateral raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSupported one-arm lateral raiseBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 each side, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point. Holding a support stops you swinging or shrugging

Easier: Dumbbell lateral raise · Harder: Barbell front raise to overhead

Seated dumbbell lateral raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSeated dumbbell lateral raiseBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

2 or 3 sets of 12 to 20, stopping 2 or 3 reps short · Our lateral raise guide's range (editorial). Seated stops the legs and trunk helping

Easier: Band lateral raise · Harder: Smith machine upright row

Cable external rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoCable external rotationBeginner · A cable machine

3 sets of 10 to 12, heavier than in stage 2 · As in our impingement guide (editorial)

Harder: Side-lying external rotation

Bent-over reverse fly demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBent-over reverse flyIntermediate · A dumbbell

3 sets of 12 to 15 · Our shoulder workout's dose (editorial). The hospital handout's swap for standing raises

Easier: Prone Y-T-W raises · Harder: Barbell rear-delt row

Move on when: Your usual raise sessions pass the pain rule for 2 weeks. Keep the rotator cuff and shoulder-blade work twice a week, and if it flares after a big session, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Your raise for now (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show all of these. They come from lab studies, an NHS booklet, a hospital handout and our lateral raise and shoulder guides; where a step is our suggestion, it says so. No trial has tested a change to the lateral raise for shoulder pain.

1. Height: stop at shoulder height, or below the painful point if that is lower. The evidence is one snapshot study linking raises above 90 degrees with impingement signs, while an NHS booklet raises as far as is comfortable, so treat this as a cautious rule while it hurts.
2. Angle: raise slightly in front of your body, about 30 degrees forward, in line with the shoulder blade, as the trials for neck and shoulder pain did. No study shows this angle is safer; it is a comfort choice.
3. Thumbs: level or slightly up; don't "pour the jug" with the little finger high, which in lab studies shifted work to the trapezius, tipped the shoulder blade forward and pressed harder on the shoulder's roof.
4. Elbows: slightly bent and leading the dumbbells; the NHS booklet starts with a bent-elbow raise, a shorter lever.
5. Shoulders down, away from your ears; if they shrug, the weight is too heavy (our suggestion).
6. Load and sets: about half your usual raise sets for 1 to 2 weeks, 12 to 20 reps, stopping 2 or 3 short of failure, with no drop sets for now. A hospital handout starts at 15 to 20 reps and advises against training to failure.
7. Speed: lower over 2 to 3 seconds and don't swing the weight up (our lateral raise guide).
8. Tools: a band, a cable, a seated or side-lying raise, or a bent-over raise if a standing dumbbell raise pinches.
9. Upright rows: leave them out for now; when they come back, keep the elbows no higher than shoulder level, as the hospital handout says.
10. Keep using your arm below shoulder height for everyday jobs: the NHS says "do not completely stop using your shoulder - this can stop it getting better".

Sources 1, 14, 4, 45, 46, 40, 2, 50, 51, 6, 16

Back to your usual training (written steps)

No study has tested how raises come back after shoulder pain, so these steps are our suggestion unless a source is named.

1. Add one thing at a time: reps, then load, then drop sets or partials, then upright rows if you use them, to no higher than shoulder level.
2. Add load in small steps after a session that passed the pain rule: the hospital handout uses increments of 5% to 10%; with dumbbells, add reps before moving up a weight.
3. Raises above shoulder height: leave them out while the shoulder is sore, and for good if they bring the pain back.
4. Keep the rotator cuff and shoulder-blade work twice a week: in weight trainers, training the muscles that turn the arm out went with fewer impingement signs, and those with the signs had weaker outward rotators (snapshot studies).
5. Everyday overhead jobs come back as in our lifting your arm guide, and pressing as in our overhead press guide.

Sources 50, 1, 12

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Raising above shoulder height while it hurts	Signs of impingement went with raises above 90 degrees in one snapshot study of weight trainers.	Stop at shoulder height or below the painful point, or scaption raises.Try: Scaption raise
Thumbs down, "pouring the jug"	More trapezius and rear deltoid work, the shoulder blade tipped forward, and more pressure on the shoulder's roof with the arm turned fully in (lab studies).	Thumbs level or slightly up.Try: Dumbbell lateral raise
Shrugging the weight up	The trapezius already works hard in raises (our suggestion).	Lighter dumbbells, shoulders down, holding a support.Try: Supported one-arm lateral raise
Heavy, swinging raises and drop sets to failure	A hospital handout advises against training to failure while the shoulder is sore.	12 to 20 controlled reps, 2 or 3 short of failure, seated.Try: Seated dumbbell lateral raise
Upright rows with the elbows above the shoulders	The hospital handout caps them at shoulder level, and the move page says leave them out with shoulder pain.	Face pulls.Try: Face pull
Front raises with pain in the groove at the front	Biceps tendon pain "worsens with overhead lifting" (our reading: front raises load it more than side raises).	Scaption raises with the thumbs up.Try: Scaption raise
The cross-body stretch with pain on top of the shoulder	Reaching across the body stresses the AC joint, and the move page says skip it then.	Rotator cuff work with a band.Try: Standing band external rotation
Resting the arm completely	The NHS says this can stop the shoulder getting better.	The stage 1 moves.Try: Band row
Raising through a pop, sudden weakness or a dead arm	It can mean a torn tendon or a loose shoulder: see the warning signs.	Stop and get it checked.

Routines to follow

Shoulder mobility and rotator cuff routine (with a band)

A 25-minute band routine for healthy shoulders: move the shoulder and upper back through their range, then strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blades.

25 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A band

Shoulder workout

A shoulder workout for all three heads: overhead press, lateral raises, reverse flyes, face pulls and rotations.

40 minIntermediate8 movesA band, A barbell

Shoulder workout at home: presses, lateral raises and rear-shoulder work

A 30-minute home shoulder workout with dumbbells or a band: presses, lateral raises for the side of the shoulder, and rear-shoulder and rotator cuff work.

30 minBeginner8 movesA band, A dumbbell

Neck and shoulder strength routine

Deep neck holds and shoulder-blade strength in under 20 minutes: one of the best-supported kinds of exercise for a stiff, sore neck.

18 minBeginner11 movesA band, An anchor point

Shoulders and arms workout: presses, raises, curls and extensions (gym)

A 45-minute gym workout for shoulders and arms: overhead presses, lateral raises with face pulls, then two biceps and triceps pairs, with sets, reps and rest.

45 minIntermediate11 movesA band, A barbell

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my shoulder hurt when I do lateral raises?

The raise lifts your arm through the range that brings out rotator cuff pain, with the load heaviest at shoulder height. Where it hurts is the best clue: the outside or front points to the rotator cuff, one spot on top to the AC joint, a groove at the front to the biceps tendon, and the top of the shoulder into the neck to the trapezius.

Why do I feel a pinch near the top of the raise?

Usually the rotator cuff, which often hurts partway up and as the arm nears shoulder height. Stop just below the pinch, raise slightly in front of your body with your thumbs level or slightly up, and go lighter while it settles.

Should my thumbs point up or down?

Level or slightly up. In lab studies, thumbs down didn't change rotator cuff work, but it shifted effort to the back of the shoulder and the trapezius, tipped the shoulder blade forward and pressed harder on the shoulder's roof. None of those studies measured pain, so it is a sensible choice rather than a proven fix.

How high should I raise my arms?

While it hurts, to shoulder height or just below the painful point. That rule rests on one snapshot study of weight trainers, and an NHS rehab booklet raises as far as is comfortable, so it is a cautious rule for now rather than a lifelong ban.

Are lateral raises bad for your shoulders?

No study shows that. An NHS rotator cuff booklet builds up to them, and trials in office workers with neck and shoulder pain used daily lateral raises. Raising high with the thumbs down, too heavy and to failure is the more likely problem (our reading).

Why does the top of my shoulder hurt with lateral raises?

One spot you can cover with a finger at the end of the collarbone points to the AC joint, which heavy or high arm work and reaching across the body aggravate. Keep raises below shoulder height and skip cross-body stretches for now. See a GP or physiotherapist if it hasn't eased after 6 to 12 weeks of changed training.

Why does my neck hurt when I do lateral raises?

The upper trapezius, from your neck to the tip of your shoulder, works hard in a raise, even with a light weight. Keep your shoulders down, go lighter and keep your thumbs level. Pins and needles or a cold arm with neck pain are different and need checking.

Are cable or band raises better for a sore shoulder?

They work the muscles about as well as dumbbells, and they let the load rise in small steps. Use whichever lets you raise within the pain rule.

Can I do lateral raises with shoulder impingement?

Usually yes, changed: lighter, slightly forward, thumbs level or up and below the painful point, with pain at 5 out of 10 or less that settles by your next session. The NHS says don't keep doing what caused the pain, but don't stop moving your shoulder.

Do I need a scan?

Not at first: rotator cuff pain is diagnosed by examination, and scans of shoulders that don't hurt often show tears. A scan matters after an injury, with sudden weakness, or for pain that isn't settling after about 12 weeks.

How long until I can raise heavy again?

No one can promise a date. A UK pathway says most rotator cuff pain responds within three months, and the NHS says shoulder pain can take 6 months or longer. Many people keep doing a changed raise throughout.

When should I see a doctor?

Go to A&E for a shoulder that looks out of place after a fall, call 999 for chest pain that feels tight or spreads to your arm, neck or jaw, and get a same-day check for sudden weakness lifting the arm, a pop with a bulge in the arm or a hot, swollen shoulder. See a GP or physiotherapist if it's no better after 2 weeks. In the US, call 911 where this page says 999.

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.