Stupidly managed to crash yesterday, rugby tackled the floor and now have a dislocated collarbone. I’ve got an appointment with a shoulder specialist next week to assess but…

Anyone else done this? How long was it before you was riding a bike again? Did you have surgery?

http://www.shoulderdoc.co.uk/article/60

There you go.

6 weekss i think i was off my bike when i tackled a traffic light coming home from riding my local trails, broken collar bone in 2 places and knackered 2 ribs,

I had a category 5 AC separation a few years ago… Some surgery 2 days later, including replacement ligaments, then 2 months of sports physio, started 2weeks after surgery. Was back on the bike riding, gentle, trails after just over 2 months.

Would highly recommend seeing a special sports physio. NHS are there to get you back to work and normal life. They also won’t, likely, was you for a few weeks and you could really start physio within a couple of weeks… Other wise it’ll stiffen up a lot and you’ll possibly develop a lot of scar tissue.

Would highly recommend seeing a special sports physio. NHS are there to get you back to work and normal life.

What a load of rubbish.

Had/got disconnected clavicle, clipped a tree at Hit The North couple of yrs back. Felt at first like I was winded carried on racing then at the end felt really sore thought I had broken it (again). Went to A&E told it will heal itself and will be ok never been the same since. Still get pains & aches. TBH worse than breaking it and I’ve done both 🙁

I went over the bars 6 weeks ago and picked up a grade 5 ACL separation. Needed surgery to wire it back up and In the last week have stopped wearing the sling. Currently have very little movement due to 6 weeks in a sling so it is going to be a while before I am back on the mountain bike. Reckon I’ll be on the road bike in another couple though, yesterday was a breakthrough as I managed get two hands on the handlebars on the turbo!

Hopefully shouldn’t be off the bike too long then. I’ll look into a sports physio, cheers. The mother in law is a nhs physio so I’m seeing her tomorrow

I think mine was a Grade IV AC separation and it was three weeks before I was on a road bike and six before I went gently MTBing.

I had daily access to physio which made a huge difference I think.

Six years on it doesn’t affect me other than being uncomfortable to lie on my right shoulder and it makes all manner of graunchy noises!!!!

I think it’s very individual. I dislocated and fractured mine last month at BPW and was back on the road for the first time yesterday after 24 days’ rest, did 50 miles in North Wales today, hope to start offroad during the week and possibly compete in an XC race next Sunday (which is a bit ambitious admittedly). Seemed to take ages to start getting better, but now it’s on a roll.

Grade 3 separation three weeks ago today. A lot of initial swelling and now an obvious bump. Voltarol 12hr gel twice a day plus frozen peas and some physio means it seems to be recovering. My consultant said come back in three months if it is still of concern, and more importantly, “if you have a badly sprained anke, you don’t run it off”. So I’d say a month or so really. I can’t abide a sling, so am using the arm sparingly – quite easy as the wrist is broken in three places!

It’s the 15 other fractures that are keeping me off the bike though 😉

I did mine in the mid 90’s, this was on a previously broken collar bone. Despite many visits to specialists it was never corrected and it just sits there, a lump where it’s never gone back into place. I used to get some pain from it for the first couple of years but nothing since. I’ve fallen on it many times since and it’s been fine.

What a load of rubbish.

I appreciate that my description was based on personal experience alone, of which I have a great deal, and I mean no offence to any NHS physio… The NHS do an awesome job…. But I wouldn’t expect the, to get me back to peak sports condition.

Aside from that, if you really want to get into a discussion, then you might want to add some context or background to your statements…. Perhaps a brief explanation of where you’re coming from, or why you have a, clearly, strong view on the topic. I’ve every belief that you have something to add to this thread, other than to simply publicly dismiss something another has said?

Perhaps we just caught you on an off day, or are you always this rude?

http://www.shoulderdoc.co.uk/article/60

There you go.

This, however, is nice and helpful, concise and well researched. Well done!

Aside from that, if you really want to get into a discussion, then you might want to add some context or background to your statements…. Perhaps a brief explanation of where you’re coming from, or why you have a, clearly, strong view on the topic. I’ve every belief that you have something to add to this thread, other than to simply publicly dismiss something another has said?

I am an NHS physio who also works in elite sport. If a NHS patient wants rehab to take them back to their sport, then they get that rehab. I have had national level triathletes as NHS patients and they have got back to competition as a result of the work they did in NHS sessions.

Most of the physios I know who work at high levels in sport are either crap or spend most of their time working in the NHS and are good. Full time physio for a high level sports club is not glamorous and it doesnt have the best physios doing it. They work for around the same money as mid grade NHS physios, but often have to work ridiculously long hours which puts their hourly rates at not much above minimum wage.

A new graduate could come straight out of uni, never having seen a patient unsupervised and call themselves a sports physio. Do you want to take that risk?

Someone I know did that and she spends her sessions flicking peoples muscles to no effect and charges a fortune for it. One day I will figure out what she thinks she’s doing. She was fired from a sports club for being hopeless at physio.

You see… Now that’s better… Context and intelligence. And all sounds perfectly reasonable. Now, you’ll notice that I said that the NHS are there to get you back to work and resume normal life, not specifically NHS physios. This is simply the unfortunate state of our wonderful NHS. I’ll clarify my statement slightly…

In every injury I’ve had, that resulted in the requirement for physio, I’ve been on a waiting list that meant I didn’t get seen early enough to get me back to sport early. This is no fault of the physics. All the NHS physics I’ve seen have been great. That said. Both the private physios I’ve seen have been excellent….. Owen at Taylor Physio in Stockbridge, and Kirsty at Peebles Physio… I name the, as it looks like you’re in Edinburgh area. Both of which have been able to act quickly. Due to me not being subject to NHS waiting lists, and done fantastic work.

A question for you – how would you have known if they were crap?

Neither of them are crap, both are very good, but how would you know?

The NHS do an awesome job

The NHS are very good at some things, less good to awful at others.

A lot of private physics are in the private sector as they are very good and can make more money than they could working for the NHS where the pay is terrible. This is the view point shared with e by a physio who runs her own businesses which employs both NHS and private sector only physios.

Now, you’ll notice that is said that the NHS are there to get you back to work and resume normal life, specifically NHS physios. This is simply the unfortunate state of our wonderful NHS. I’ll clarify my statement slightly…

This is simply untrue.

Treatment goals should be set in conjunction with the patient. If those goals include running ultramarathons, or ripping up DH trails, or whatever then the NHS will get you back to that position. If your injury is one that is in need of being seen quickly then your referral will lead to an appointment within a couple of days. In our place many people get appointments the same day as the GP referral arrives.

I went by reputation and recommendation…. I would certainly advise doing some research. Not just grabbing the first one you see in the yellow pages.

All the NHS physios in the country , might be great… The fact is that it is often difficult to see the, early enough.

So, lesson learned here, for me, see a well trained professional, with skill and experience, as soon as possible after injury…. Even if only for advice in the first instance.

How soon would you advise someone see a physio to get advice after surgery on a cat 5 AC separation?

In our place you would see a physio before you left the hospital – before and after your operation. They would also arrange a suitably timed follow up appointment with the outpatient physios who would not discharge you until you had reached the level you wanted to reach.

Orthopaedic injuries and operations vary and the initial rehab and limitations are consultant led, so they have the say on how long you need to avoid moving your arm for.

Advice is was given was to “rest” and wait for my referral to come through.

Referral letter arrived 2weeks later, with an appointment that was set for 6 weeks after surgery.

I’m not sure where ‘our place’ is…. But if it’s that great, then you could say. I’m talking about royal infirmary Edinburgh…. And I had a similar experience after 4 seperate knee dislocations, the 4the of which resulted in patella tendon realignment surgery. I had a cast on for 6 weeks, hip to ankle. When the cast came off I couldn’t walk without crutches. My first sight of a physio was two weeks after the cast came off! TWO WEEKS!!

Our place is NHS Fife, NHS Borders is just as good.

I wouldnt expect you to be able to walk without crutches after 6 weeks with your leg straight. And I’m also suspecting that your leg improved by itself within those two weeks.

I’m not saying that this is you, but the reason that it’s difficult to get a physio appointment is because people think that physio is for every minor pain and irritation. It isn’t. Lots of people only see physio once and are then discharged because they simply dont need to be there.

I broke my clavicle over a year ago and went to see a leading private sports physio who, at the time, was being used by one of the best World Cup DH teams – they just happened to be based in my home town. Said physio never quite made any progress with my condition, and after five expensive sessions, I gave up and tried NHS. Never looked back. In my experience, NHS guide you to do what helps. After that it’s up to you how much effort YOU put in. My private experience was more about “here’s what I’ll do for you, no guarantees, I’ll experiment a few things on you, it will cost you to keep coming back to me”.

If it is grade 5 then you will have had surgery so it is down to what the consultant says. There are lots of different ways to fix a grade 5 so there is no one answer. Mine was fixed with a ‘tightrope’ and I was allowed to start light physio after 4 weeks.

mine is broken at the sternoclavicular joint so still got a wide range of movement but its always dam sore lying down 🙁

ony been a week past thursday – no idea when Ill get physio. been told just to rest and move my arm gentle but no lifting.