Morning all 🙂
Had an OTB about three weeks ago and amongst other injuries, I ruptured a ligament in my shoulder causing one of the shoulder bones to stick up by about inch (see below). I think this is a common injury and wondered if any other STW members could shed a light on a realistic date when I might be riding again from experience? The shoulder does ache a lot but not really any sharp pains but there is a distinctive lack of strength. Is there anything I can do like strap the shoulder bone down to help the ligament repair? When I saw the doctor two days after the accident at the fracture clinic I was in a lot of pain because I also tore the muscles in my lower back and so all he did was look at the x-ray and said come back in six weeks and he will decide if it need to be pinned or not… Really missing my riding 😥

Thanks

This is an A-C dissociation.
I had one in November 2000.
Coupled with other more serious injuries I had 4 months off the bike.
They will re-xray in 6 weeks to see if the gap has changed, but probably will not pin it.
You will only break the pin next time you fall anyway….
Mine was probably good to go in approx 6 weeks when I started the physio routines and regular press-ups.

I have broken the same shoulder 3 times since….my clavicle is like a jigsaw puzzle with some bits missing.
The important things are to listen to the physio and do the exercises/ride your bike.
It will get better…but soft tissue can take much longer than a broken bone to heal and be strong again.

Get a turbo trainer and ride it as much as you can with one hand.
You need to maintain your fitness and strength or you will have legs that look like arms!

PaulD

If its the little ligament at the top of the shoulder, between the shoulder and the arm, (tiny one sort of on the outside of the shoulder) mine took about 8 weeks where I didn’t really ride at all. First proper time out, weekend at GT and Innerleithen, it was fine.

I could probably have gone put sooner to be honest but as I had this trip planned, I didn’t want to put myself back any.

Make sure you visit the NHS physio and do the exercises they give you. It helped me no end and I now have as full move,ent in it as I’d need. Also, a heat pad will help too speed the recovery up.

Thanks for the replies Guys…

Got to see the physio tomorrow for my back as tore lower muscles at the same time. I will see if I can include my shoulder in the appointment and if not make a new appointment for it.

Thanks

Alan

Definately see the physio, I had a crash probably 6 or 7 years ago now (high speed berm washout in a DH race) & went straight down onto my shoulder. I just muddled on for years with a niggling pain.

Eventually I went and good it looked at, and to cut a long story short – I was an idiot for not getting it checked.

They had to peel me off the ceiling once they worked out what I had done & where the pain was coming from. It was awful.

Loads of exercises to fix it (amazing how weak it was in some directional movement) & it was feeling much better.

Until I crashed on it again. Doh!

I injured my shoulder snowboarding over 18 months ago. It hurt quite bad but not enough to mess up the rest of the snowboarding holiday. I didn’t go to get it checked up but I suspect its a AC injury and although its healed enough for me to mountain biking theres still a massive lump there and it dosent take much of a fall before it gets sore again. Also sometimes painful if I sleep on it funny. I’m seeing a physio about it next week to see if theres any excercises I can do to strengthen it

Assuming that you don’t need surgery or is it too early to tell? If you do then I would strongly advise you to check out NHS ortho waiting times as this ‘maximum 18 weeks’ is cobblers.

I had an AC seperation last year, got fed up of waiting so asked GP surgery to check as I’d gone over 18 weeks. Was told that it would be a minimum of 9 months wait. 😯 Meanwhile, I was in considerable pain partly due to an old broken collarbone injury that was on the same side and, indeed, the NHS had not treated me properly at the time.

Fingers crossed that rest will be the healer. 🙂

Had a Sub Acromaial Decompression an ACJ Resection & a MUA on my left shoulder in early July, was back on bike 3 weeks ago, but still only on steady stuff!!

I did the same thing on Sunday, and my clavicle is now sticking up a long way.

I have just got back from seeing the specialist, and he said just gentle exercises and use my arm as normally as possible for the next four weeks. However, they may operate in the meantime.

Not keen on either option really, but I don’t really have a choice.

Going to get the turbo trainer set up, I cannot sit on my ever growing behind for the next four weeks!

I had an AC separation like yours in January. My A&E offered surgery, which I turned down, I asked my GP to refer me to a NHS physio who was brill. I ignored all the advice and started off roading again after 3 weeks although it hurt singlespeeding up steep hills out of the saddle – but it was only pain.

Everything fine now, and the lump on my right shoulder stops my camelbak slipping off.

I had a crash 2 years ago, going from about 30 to 0 in a split second. Unfortunately the bone didn’t break but everything around it did. Had loads of physio through the NHS but last March had a Subacromial Decompression plus a tidy up of the AC joint though they left the torn ligament to heal naturally.

Mine took twice as long to heal for some reason, though the time of work was nice 😀 I could do gentle road rides 6 weeks after surgery. I still have to keep up with the physio else my shoulder and neck play up.

I still get slight pain now but have been told it could take a few years to heal fully or it could ache for the rest of my life 🙁 Though it doesn’t stop me from doing any biking now 🙂