cavy986

Member
Apr 1, 2005
44
0
I seperated my shoulder (between a grade3-4 seperation)riding about a month ago,after seeing 2 specialists I'm having surgery soon and womdering if anyone out there has been through this and offer any advice.Thanks.
 

just_a_rider

Member
Jul 25, 2006
394
1
Mine wasn't that bad and did not come from riding, I was lifting weights. I was putting the bar over my head to rest on my shoulders to do some squats and pow, I got off balance and my left shoulder gave from the weight, my friends said my arm was pointing strait back as the weight fell. It took me a while to get over the hurt but 20 years later I have to be carfull, the slightest bit of presure forcing my arm back it will come out, maybe I should have had exrays :whoa:
 

cteteacher

Member
Feb 13, 2007
13
0
Been there done that playing football. Had an AC Seperation minor. Want to say like a 1-2, but I don't remember. No surgery, just therapy and strengthining excercises. I did both and ended up doing nerve damaga playing ball, but everything healed up. Like the other guy said though I still have problems with it slipping under certain circumstances. Never has bothered me when I am riding though. Mine mostly bothers me when it is over my head.
 

darylZero

Member
Feb 22, 2007
37
0
I suffered a class 3 separation two weeks ago. I go to see the doctor tomorrow morning to set up PT. They told me I do not need surgery and that I should be able to ride in three more weeks. My should feels a lot better already I just have this bone sticking out of my shoulder that is supposedly never going to go down :bang: .
 

James

Lifetime Sponsor
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Dec 26, 2001
1,839
0
Shoulder "coming out" is dislocated, not separated.

The bone sticking out doesn't ever go down. It isn't sticking up as much as your shoulder hanging down because nothing is attached up top to hold it where it is supposed to be.

I didn't have my grade III fixed. There is a Dr. Mark (mark Sanders Clinic Houston) that seems to know his stuff on these injuries. He has a website with some good info http://www.sandersclinic.net/ . From what I have read, if I have anybody fix it...it will be him. I learned enough from the grade III that I was able to self-diagnose the grade I I got late last year. That one bugs me more than the one that fully separated.

Good Luck
 

James

Lifetime Sponsor
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Dec 26, 2001
1,839
0
You can hold it in place kinda like holding your shoulder up to shrug it, but anytime you relax, it will sag unless that joint is reconstructed with surgery.
 

psustang89

Member
Jun 22, 2006
63
0
Ahhhh...the horn. My grade 3 came from a street bike accident 3 years ago. I was given the option of surgery and I passed. It was the right decision. Besides the ugly horn on my shoulder, the injury only limits me slightly in the gym. No more 1 rep maxes, upright rows, etc. My right trap will never look the same again. I very rarely do any barbell work anymore. I find the range of motion of dumbbells much better for the injury. Other than that I'm fine. I very rarely even notice it anymore. But man, did it hurt when it happened! Give yourself a month minimum and you'll be back on the bike no problem....that is unless you have surgery. My surgeon said 4 months min recovery from the surgery. That made my decision right there! Good Luck!
 

colotowyo499

Member
Jun 7, 2007
20
0
More common than I thought...the 3rd degree AC separation. Did mine 7 years ago snowboarding and have been living with the horn or "alien" as I call it ever since. It's become more commonplace lately with today's X-sports popularity. I've been to two different ortho surgeons who said that there's no real surgery to fix and that it's just cosmetic. I'd like them to feel the grind and pop thru rotation and have them tell me it's just cosmetic then. One said they tried to make a kevlar mesh type repair in one motocrosser's shoulder and it just wore a hole in his bones. Yikes! Maybe your other doctors (like Dr. Sanders) have some better info. Anyway, after 7 years it's still pretty strong, can lift weights fairly decently, ride well, and it doesn't slow me down too much other than you won't see me doing front handsprings anytime soon. Maybe we'll find new technology pretty soon to fix our ongoing problem?! :cool:
 

YZ/250

Member
Dec 17, 2006
128
0
I fell off my bike 5-13-07. I know i seperated my shoulder. I had xrays and everythings ok. I do have the "bump". It was a good month before i started to feel somwhat normal again (it really was sore). I was going to see a specialist, but I had my friend who is a PT look at it and he said that it looks like i seperated it. Ive been playing with the bowflex to build back my strength. Oh well, it sucks getting hurt, but at least i was having fun up in til that point.
 

lukesh40

Member
Dec 8, 2005
52
0
I had a grade I early last July. I only gave it three weeks and as luck would have it I suffered a really bad grade III. Been keeping a pretty solid routine of PT ever since and now almost a year later I am still only at about 80%. I just started working pushups into my routine about a month ago (previously i was doing them on a ball). I wear an evs brace when I ride and overall the shoulder feels pretty good (except when i touch it...the bump) however my shoulder blade is pretty loose still. It cracks and pops like hell when I raise my arm above my head. Anyone else experience this problem?
 

Smit-Dog

Mi. Trail Riders
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Oct 28, 2001
4,704
0
I suffered a a Class II / III "Acromioclavicular (AC) Joint", or classic separated shoulder, about a week ago. Ortho says it will feel better in 3 weeks, just take it easy... BUT DO NOT FALL ON IT WITHIN THE NEXT 6 WEEKS OR IT WILL BE SURGERY WITH A 4 MONTH RECOVERY!

In fact, she is treating another dirt biker right now who had a II-III, went riding after 3 weeks, did fall on it, and is now scheduled for surgery. :|

This really sucks... Not only did I DNF my last race due to the injury, but now I'm going to miss the next 2.

I'm tempted to race at an event in 4 weeks, but it's more likely than not that I'll fall so will sit it out. :(
 

YZ/250

Member
Dec 17, 2006
128
0
I was riding two weeks after my separation this spring. I wouldn't advise doing it though. The pain is still slowly going away. I separated my shoulder 5-13-07. I wasn't aware that they could do surgery on the AC separation? Sometimes you wonder if its worth all the pain...
 

goondock

Mod Ban
Jul 23, 2007
5
0
Strengthening.Strengthening.Strengthening and do the stretches the doc and physical therapist say. it hurts but it does get stronger.. i think my shoulder that was fixed is stronger than my non injured shoulder now.
 
Top Bottom