Came off the bike last Thursday and landed on my shoulder x ray revealed grade 2 AC joint separation.
Very sore in sling and taking pain killers and ibroprfen. Any one else had this? What is the recovery time?
How long until I can be back on he bike?
Thanks

Mine was a lot more painful in a sling than free to move. Not much you can do to aid the process as far as I can remember, but a 2 week trip DHing in Morzine only 3 weeks after separating mine sorted it out, though the first week was extremely painful and I couldn’t really pull up on the bars, the second week it was fine.

I did mine a few years ago and my shoulder clunks and moves about as the collar bone stayed where it moved too. I was back on the bike after a month or so, if you can get to see a physio go.
Day to day it is fine no pain and ok on the bike and windsurfing too but lots of swiming and surfing is out as it hurts.

Did mine a month ago, still hurts like hell when I ride, but getting better.
About to get some physio squared away.
Hurts more while climbing in the hoods, so sticking to MTB for the min.

I did just that a year ago.

Diclofenac and Co-Codamol are more effective for the pain but may be bad for you and for healing.

I got referred to an NHS physio who was very good indeed and gave me lots of useful exercises and different coloured rubber bands to strengthen the surrounding muscles.

I got back on the bike after a few days (just riding to the pub, etc) and mountain bike after 3 or 4 weeks, taking it easy at first. It’s only pain that you’re worried about. You’ve torn the ligament for good. A fall tomorrow is only going to do the same damage as a fall in 12 months.

I suffered a type 2 a few years back.

The sooner you can get some physio the better, to keep the joint mobile, get blood flowing to it and to strengthen the other ligaments.

Was back mtb’n within a month.

That’s not true at all big John. Ligaments repair, tendons don’t. While your ligaments are repairing it will be with type 1 collagen which is weak and if you rush getting back in to activity you’ll likely do again. It takes about a month for type 1 collagen to mature in to type 3 which is what you’ve torn in the first place.

I’ll check back on Monday with some more advice after I’ve seen the surgeon at the fracture clinic on Monday. Level 4 separation last Friday here.

Grade2/3 for me. It took a good 8 weeks , possibly more before I couldn’t notice it riding. I still have the bump, but I wish I had taped it and had early physio to minimise to bone protuberance.

Big Johns advice is pretty gun-ho IMO. I’d personally get some decent advice from a sports injury therapist of some sort.

Did mine last September; advice was to hurry up and wait. I was still commuting, but it was 12 weeks before I managed anything significant off road. If it’s torn up, there’s no sense in trying strengthening exercises straight off, you’ll just spanner it some more. Let it heal a while, then start with the rehab was the advice I got. Seems fine now (apart from a physical lump on the shoulder!). Take it easy.

I suffered a level 4 separation last August. I was signed off work for four weeks, but given a few exercises and told to keep the shoulder moving. I rode a turbo every couple of days while I killer the four weeks until my follow up, where I was told to get back to whatever activities I had been doing before my fall.

It took a few months to get full strength back into my shoulder but it’s all good now, and I am riding mtb’s, road and my horse (just got home from a weeks horse riding on Exmoor).

Have done mine several times, rode when it stopped hurting (month or so) no perm damage and grade 2 is a pretty minor one really.

Neil, did you not need surgery for a level 4?

I did this almost 2 years ago. I was advised to get rid of the sling as soon as possible and then start moving the arm as far as it could. With the exercises/stretches the physio advised, you could see my flexibility in the shoulder increase by the day. The riding came on gradually too. Talas forks on their longest setting on the gentlest ride helped.
I don’t really get any pain now, just an odd lump to show for it, but I get a lot of clicking noises every now and then.

As per HS125, i was advised to ditch the sling and get the shoulder moving as soon as possible, up to the point where it would really hurt. Saw a physio after a couple of weeks wait and was told that doing that had really helped it.

I still have the lump, but also have way more flexibility in that shoulder now than my good one.

Scaled, did you get the email?

I did mine on Dec 1st, even before I could have it out of the sling on land I was in the pool doing exercises with it supported by the water, was useable at end of Jan, but didn’t feel comfortable that I had enough strength to get back on the MTB until end of Feb.

HTH

I had a grade III I think and I was on my road bike in three weeks and back on trails three weeks after that.

Was lucky I had free unlimited access to a superb physio department.

Don’t have any issues apart from I don’t lie on my right in bed anymore. And it looks cr@p! And my right arm drops two more inches more than left so suit fitting is entertaining!

I did smartmonkey, thanks very much, really appreciated and lifted my mood a little.

I meant to reply but I’m still very much in a codeine haze at the moment!

Surgery tomorrow so fun fun fun!

So the nerve block has almost worn off and my shoulder surgery seems to have gone well.

Nursing staff at UHSM have been amazing.

They’ve screwed through my clavicle and attached it with donor tissue to the scapula. Before the op my clavicle was lodged in myt rapezius and moved when I did anything.

First physio session this morning but looking at an initial 2 weeks in the sling and 6 weeks till I can raise my arm over my head.

Doc said 2 weeks of work and to even keep off the turbo.

Neil, did you not need surgery for a level 4?

I was offered surgery, but told it was not necessary and frankly, the thought of people sticking knives into my shoulder is enough for me to live with the bump thanks you.

I did mine 4 weeks ago, and rode my MTB for the first time today.

I still can’t sleep on it though…, although that’s probably the bits still floating around jabbing into muscle 😳

Take it easy! Had metal work put in my AC seperation, was doing well until I ended up with a frozen shoulder some 6 weeks later. Got that treated, I am back on the bike but am still not right. Possibly due to the large haematoma on my thigh, am still lop-sided and hurts when I walk.

Just make sure you’ve a decent physio and do as they say!