What is internal and external rotation?
Matthew Alvarez
Published May 10, 2026
Internal shoulder rotation involves rotating your upper arm toward the front side of your torso. External rotation involves rotating it away from the front side of your torso. These muscles are smaller than your deltoids, but still hugely important.
What is an example of external rotation?
External rotation is needed for example when doing a ponytail or putting your hands behind your neck.What is a internal rotation?
In anatomy, internal rotation (also known as medial rotation) is an anatomical term referring to rotation towards the center of the body.How do you explain external rotation?
External rotation (or lateral rotation) is rotation away from the centre of the body. Internal and external rotation of the arms (humerus) occurs at the shoulders, causing the elbow to rotate — see Figures 2 and 3.What are external rotation exercises?
Exercises for Shoulder Flexibility: External Rotation
- Stand in a doorway. ...
- With the other hand, hold the elbow on the side with the involved frozen (stiff) shoulder firmly against your body.
- Standing in the same spot, rotate your body away from the doorjamb. ...
- Work up to doing 3 sets of this stretch, 3 times a day.