Subluxated shoulder

[ktastrphe]

Thanks to a front wheel wash out the other day when training for the first WAGE round, I'm now the proud owner of a subluxated shoulder. Popped it back in out on the trails to get home, but it is nice and tender. Was a struggle to tech forward and change gears. Had x-rays and waiting to see the doc again on Monday.

I couldn't find any other threads, but was keen to see if Anyone else has suffered a similar injury and how long they were off the bike, and whether it has reoccurred. Worth getting a shoulder brace?

Needless to say I'm not competing today

Cheers

 

[pharmaboy]

Search AC separation, I'm sure there's a thread here somewhere.

Long recovery mate, heaps of cyclists have dropped shoulders from this injury. I think mine took about 2 or 3 years before I could sleep on that side comfortably again, grade 1, 2 and 3. Grade 3 will be operated on, usually not for grade 2 seperation

 

[rowdyflat]

Depends is it the shoulder joint ie ball and socket subluxed ie half out of joint or the AC joint ?

 

[tunsis]

There is full dislocation and partial dislocation (sublaxation).

I had a sublaxation from snowboarding maybe 5 years ago. Racing a mate at *high* speed, caught an edge and rotated 180 degrees, super manned backwards before smashing down on my left shoulder. Game over.

My shoulder was rooted for about 2 months. I couldnt lift my wrist above my elbow and the shoulder hung about 2cm lower than the right. Eventually it came good with quite a bit of physio and rock climbing etc. That would be my main recommendation - do the physio or you run the risk that it wont return back to normal function. Even years later, if I sleep on my left side all night it feels sore when I wake up.

Along with the physio at the time, years later I found yoga to massively help with fixing alot of long standing problems with my body - left shoulder instability, tight hip flexors, piriformis syndrome in my hip area etc. When you're 20 you're made of elastic and can just bounce this stuff off... older, you get more brittle and you have to be more proactive with maintenance and more diligent with recovery.

 

[oliosky]

Grade 3 separation in November last year. Only really started feeling good on the bike again in the last couple of weeks. No surgery, and I've got a solid bump on my left shoulder that will be there forever from all accounts. I used an EVS shoulder brace initially when i got back on the bike a few weeks ago.

 

[ktastrphe]

Don't scare me by saying years! My doctor reckons the AC is ok, but when the technician was xraying me after she asked if I had previous injuries, but didn't elaborate apart from looks like no bones broken.

Physio definitely sounds like the go. Looks like worth investing in a stationary trainer in the mean time to keep the fitness up.

Not wrong about getting old, few years shy of 40 now.

 

[Lazmo]

Ouch... weirdly I've never heard of a subluxated shoulder... and both my shoulders are toast from endless injuries. A few of my mates are (well were ) AFL players and they would get it popped back in, a jab, and play on. They're pretty fucked now though. As far as getting old is concerned, if you are shy of forty, you are not even middle aged... your crisis awaits you. In April I can get a seniors card... so soak up where you at right now... it ain't gonna improve. Good luck with the shoulder.

 

[pharmaboy]

Ouch... weirdly I've never heard of a subluxated shoulder... and both my shoulders are toast from endless injuries. A few of my mates are (well were ) AFL players and they would get it popped back in, a jab, and play on. They're pretty fucked now though. As far as getting old is concerned, if you are shy of forty, you are not even middle aged... your crisis awaits you. In April I can get a seniors card... so soak up where you at right now... it ain't gonna improve. Good luck with the shoulder.

You Ve never heard it because it's not really a medical term in Australia.

The correct description is an acromioclavicular seperation or partial dislocation, as everyone as alluded to, then there is 3 grades. The grades then refer to whether is a full dislocation or partial, so medically, someone calling it a subluxation (partial) is saying its grade 1 or 2. Suspect overseas trained doctor.

So alas the OP certainly sounds like he has an AC joint seperation of some grade.

something requiring surgery is hardly ever paid for in public health, whether you would go down the surgery route depends on how much physically you require your shoulder for work - sometimes that changes the risk benefit for surgery

(Not my area, but I think the above is pretty much right)

 

[ktastrphe]

I'm a metallurgist, essentially a chemical engineer, so heavy lifting isn't really much of a prerequisite, so unless there is something else going on in there I shouldn't need surgery. It has been 4 days and I can only raise my arm slightly using my deltoid muscle before pain.

I guess the thing that has me curious is once it is healed and I'm out riding, will a jolt from say a poorly landed double pop it out, or will it need a similar trauma motion like originally caused it. Probably a question for the physio I guess?

 

[findbuddha]

I'm a metallurgist, essentially a chemical engineer, so heavy lifting isn't really much of a prerequisite, so unless there is something else going on in there I shouldn't need surgery. It has been 4 days and I can only raise my arm slightly using my deltoid muscle before pain.

I guess the thing that has me curious is once it is healed and I'm out riding, will a jolt from say a poorly landed double pop it out, or will it need a similar trauma motion like originally caused it. Probably a question for the physio I guess?

There's been a bit of confusion in this thread between acromioclavicular (AC) and glenohumeral (GH) joint dislocation. The GH is the actual ball-and-socket joint - it sounds like you injured this if you felt like you could pop it back in. Having one GH dislocation will increase the risk of a second, but it will vary for everyone how much that risk increases based on how bad the joint and joint capsule were damaged.

Assuming the bone and cartilage of the joint weren't damaged (bone at least should have been picked up on X-ray), get your shoulder as strong as you can and see how it goes. There's no good evidence about the efficacy of shoulder bracing for preventing dislocation.

 

[dropotaro]

I had the shoulder op in November and have only just been given the all clear from my physio to try riding on the road for short periods of time. I wont be back on the mountain bike until June at the earliest he says. Its been a pretty painful experience but my shoulder now stays in place so its worth it in my.

 

[MRO]

So alas the OP certainly sounds like he has an AC joint seperation of some grade.

something requiring surgery is hardly ever paid for in public health, whether you would go down the surgery route depends on how much physically you require your shoulder for work - sometimes that changes the risk benefit for surgery

(Not my area, but I think the above is pretty much right)

I have had both shoulders operated on after AC joint separation, Grad 3+.

Both i could have gone public and chose to do this on my first shoulder. Second time around and i went private. Private was so much better and a highly recommend it. I am in WA too. PM me if you want a recommendation for a surgeon - so happy to recommend this bloke after my experience. I would avoid public at all cost.

 

[pharmaboy]

There's been a bit of confusion in this thread between acromioclavicular (AC) and glenohumeral (GH) joint dislocation. The GH is the actual ball-and-socket joint - it sounds like you injured this if you felt like you could pop it back in. Having one GH dislocation will increase the risk of a second, but it will vary for everyone how much that risk increases based on how bad the joint and joint capsule were damaged.

Assuming the bone and cartilage of the joint weren't damaged (bone at least should have been picked up on X-ray), get your shoulder as strong as you can and see how it goes. There's no good evidence about the efficacy of shoulder bracing for preventing dislocation.

Thx for that info - sorry, I'm totally cycling biased. Reading about it, you'd need to be abducted to get that type of dis location - I know the OP said that, but I think I said something similar when I did my AC so patients are notorious for inaccurately reporting outcomes , I've seen a disc location in football, and no patient was going to casually pop that one back in - much force and technique required by dr, so not thinking that would be easy (unless it's happened before )

 

[TREK24]

Definitely go to physio, go straight away. The stabilising muscles of the shoulder (glenohumeral joint) contribute greatly to its stability, it is otherwise an inherently unstable joint (large ball, very small socket). If you don't get it rehabbed sufficiently straight up, you have a much greater chance of future subluxations and dislocations that will continue to cause more damage and make each subsequent injury easier to do and more severe.
Saying that, if you have only subluxed the joint and not caused much internal damage you should get a satisfactory result from conservative management (physio and strengthening).
If you find you still have a very unstable shoulder that wants to keep popping out even after you have given conservative management a good shot (minimum 2-3 months), then a scan will show some significant internal injury to the cartilage and ligaments requiring surgery to repair and stabilise.

Good luck and be prepared to put in some hard work. The result is only as good as the effort and time you put into fixing it.

 

[CalFB]

Rooted shoulders, the gift that keeps on giving.

The only advice is to take the advice of the professionals. The rehab can seem tiresome and unnecessary at times, particularly when the shoulder starts feeling good again, but don't let it fool you, that bastard shoulder will never be the same.

I had a reco on my right shoulder 25 years ago, i'm 50 now. It had been dislocated so many times I couldn't count. The first time was a motorbike crash, then water skiing, then it just getting ugly. Eventually it was that unstable it would drop out if I sneezed, rolled over in bed, closed the car door the wrong way. Reached expert level at popping it back in before it entered full lockup mode, to avoid the hospital visit. But if I didn't get it in time i'd be in emergency. Dandy hospital gave me a quick entry card. I could hand it over at emergency and they'd rush me straight in, give me a jab of happy stuff and i'd wake up in a sling.

After the reco and rehab, I had a good run with it. Have done plenty of dirt bike riding and other stupid shit. The last 5 or 6 years it's become hard to deal with again. It doesn't pop out, it just hurts like a bastard, locks up and stops me from doing stuff. Had scan 6 years ago and doc said that it's full of arthritis and i'll be getting a shoulder replacement within 10 years. Look that shit up, it's one of those surgeries where they use hack saws and ball peen hammers and blood and shit flies everywhere while some crazed surgeon listens to Ride Of The Valkyries with a manic grin on his face. Had major surgery 12mths ago, so i've been putting the shoulder off, but I said to the missus yesterday, I think it's time.

So, good luck with your shoulder

 

[ktastrphe]

Thanks for all the advice and (horror) stories. Current thought from the physio is to rest it for 2 weeks in a sling to get it to lock in place , then get onto the rehab stuff- apparently that's what the latest research suggests.
She could actually move my shoulder full range if I relaxed my muscles and she manipulated. I assume that is a good sign

The important part was I may even be back on the mountain bike in 8 weeks or so, and sooner on the road (cx) bike. But for now the stationary trainer may become a close acquaintance

 

[mickeytg]

I had my right shoulder done in July 2016. Was back on the MTB in late December, probably two months earlier than I should have been but it feels great. My main issue was having the bicep tendon being reattached to the shoulder, plenty of rehab and I followed the physios recovery advice to the letter. I'm back in the gym now, pain free and back on the bike so all good.

 

[ktastrphe]

That's good to hear mickey. It has been a bit over 2 weeks for me and I have maybe 30% movement in my shoulder, which is a slight improvement.
I'm a while off even the cx bike I reckon. No way I could support my weight, or even reach the handlebars

 

[ktastrphe]

So as a record for the ages, figured I'd update this thread for future people asking questions about their injuries. It is 14 weeks since my injury, and been given the ok from the physio to take the mountain bike out finally (tomorrow).
Still have a bit of pain, but movement is almost fully restored. Now to keep myself restrained from pushing too hard too early.

Sent from my SGP621 using Tapatalk

 

[teK--]

Have fun mate and take it easy! I used one of these braces for the first 4 weeks after 10 weeks recovering from a separated shoulder. It helped a lot:

http://www.ottobock.com.au/orthotics/products-from-a-to-z/acro-comfort/