Efficacy of shoulder range of motion exercise in hospitalized patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

The rationale for inpatient (phase 1) exercise therapy after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been generalized from studies after myocardial infarction (MI) and bed rest. However, patients after CABG surgery are unlike patients after MI with regard to surgical trauma restoration of coronary circulation, and length of hospital stay. Most phase 1 exercise routines include a variety of range of motion (ROM) exercises, many of which focus on shoulder joint mobility. The purpose of our study was to examine the effect of shoulder ROM exercise therapy on inpatients after CABG surgery, because data in this area are limited. The results indicate that ROM exercises do not significantly (p greater than 0.05) ameliorate the early ROM loss associated with surgery. We conclude that the loss of shoulder ROM observed after surgery is a function of the surgical procedure and not lack of ROM challenge.