Do This Scissor Exercise To Improve Parkinson’s Stooped Posture and Back Pain

Although it may seem simple, reaching your arm overhead is a complex movement, requiring the coordination of multiple parts of your skeleton. Your shoulder blades (scapula) and your arm bone (humerus) have to work together in a simultaneous, synchronized pattern.

When this movement pattern is disrupted, a cascade of problems occurs, leading to pain and mobility issues. Routinely encouraging your shoulders, shoulder blades, and spine to move in a supported range of motion is crucial to counteracting the stooped posture and associated pain that are common in Parkinson’s disease.

The Foam Roller Scissor Exercise is a great way to improve your posture and support a healthy range of motion through your shoulders and back. All you’ll need is a full-size (36-inch) foam roller. Watch this video to learn how to do it:

Foam Roller Scissor Exercise using a 36-inch roller:

• To keep the roller from rolling away, lay a yoga mat or towel over the roller (see my previous video for a demonstration).
• Lie with your spine aligned on the foam roller. Be sure your head and tailbone are supported fully. If your head is tilting backwards, use a pillow. You should feel as though you could hold a soft ball under your chin.

• Bend your knees and relax your back and shoulders on the roller. You will feel your body open up as gravity melts your body into the roller.

• Keeping your elbows straight, reach both arms up into the air with your palms facing each other, shoulder-width apart. Try a little protraction/retraction from my previous video. 

• Exhale and reach one arm back overhead while bringing your other arm down towards your hip and the floor.

• Your arm only goes back as far as you can keep your elbow straight and pain-free. You do NOT have to touch the floor behind you.
• Bring both arms back to the starting position and alternate reaching the other arm back, in a scissor motion.

• Do this while keeping your rib cage in and shoulders down. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart and your elbows straight the entire time.
• Repeat 20 times daily with other foam roller exercises.

You can modify this for a chair by putting a half (D-shaped) foam roller behind your back and doing the arm scissor from there.

Be sure to check out my other foam roller exercise videos:

• How to Safely Use a Foam Roller for Parkinson’s Stooped Posture
• Try This Easy Way To Get On a Foam Roller if You Have Parkinson’s
• Do This Shoulder Blade Protraction-Retraction Exercise To Improve Parkinson’s Stooped Posture

Let me know how you are doing with these exercises!

💜 Coach Kimberly