Anyone here had a shoulder separation?

Justwar

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Jan 19, 2002
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Got like a bump above my shoulder with a good amount of pain. Going to the dr but curious what people have done for treatments
 

BlueRaider22

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Physical Therapy and time usually. Only in worst cases are they operated on.

PT will show you what to do. Usually it’s extremely effective.
 
Dec 2, 2004
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Definitely rehab it. My left got knocked out playing flag football but I didn’t properly rehab it and it wasn’t the same for several years.
 

drawing_dead

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yes, i have but i did not cry about it. i waited until the next day, AFTER the Daytona 500 before i went to the ER...

bonus, i learned to write left-handed
 
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AustinTXCat

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<- - - - Several major shoulder dislocations during the early 80s. Most god-awful feeling on the planet. Last major dislocation happened in summer 1989 as I drew back on a recurve bow and it popped badly. Ex-wife hauled me to Middlesboro hospital, where a doctor set the joint back into place. Great drugs. I worked for years on strengthening exercises. No recent pops, but I've also also been super careful over the years since.
 

Justwar

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My shoulders are so arthritic, cracks every movement. This hurts a bit, gets better as the days go on but at night it's on fire. I tried my best to skip the doctor but going Monday, but I doubt they do much. But in my case it's as important as serious leg injury
 

BlueRaider22

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<- - - - Several major shoulder dislocations during the early 80s. Most god-awful feeling on the planet. Last major dislocation happened in summer 1989 as I drew back on a recurve bow and it popped badly. Ex-wife hauled me to Middlesboro hospital, where a doctor set the joint back into place. Great drugs. I worked for years on strengthening exercises. No recent pops, but I've also also been super careful over the years since.


Yep. Dislocations are a completely different animal. Especially if it’s unstable enough that you do it without trauma.....like with archery.....ouch. I hope you never have another.
 

wildcatadam6

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Discloated my shoulder (acromio-clavicular joint) 8 years ago on the last run of the day skiing at Snowshoe. Was very sudden pain, but didn’t linger that long, to be honest. Orthopedic buddy prescribed 6 weeks of strict rest. I can do most of what I want to....golf, lift, etc. Can’t really throw too too hard, but I gave up softball and baseball years ago.
 
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TruBluCatFan

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Got like a bump above my shoulder with a good amount of pain. Going to the dr but curious what people have done for treatments

Yep. Major dislocation. Orthopedist did surgery the same day to reset it. Hurt like EM EFFER.
 

KRJ1975

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Suffered a few playing hockey.

Rehab and rest is usually the prescription. As long as you didn’t tear anything you should not meet surgery.
 

Justwar

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Suffered a few playing hockey.

Rehab and rest is usually the prescription. As long as you didn’t tear anything you should not meet surgery.


Going tomorrow to the dr, definitely not getting better, the pain is actually moving further to the upper tricep and unfortunately by the rotator cuff
 
Jan 28, 2007
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Popped it out in a football game when I was trying to block some dude. Popped out when I hit him, but popped back in when I fell to the ground. Stayed in the game the next two plays because I’m a badass. Came out and didn’t enter again after those two plays because it started to feel like a hot poker was being stuck into my shoulder socket and I don’t like pain.
 

BlueRaider22

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Going tomorrow to the dr, definitely not getting better, the pain is actually moving further to the upper tricep and unfortunately by the rotator cuff


Hopefully they can clarify what’s going on. You might have multiple injuries and not just the AC joint. Until you get to therapy, rest it (a little discomfort is ok, pushing yourself through pain is not), ice it liberally, and walk around with ideal posture (not super military posture but good posture).
 

drawing_dead

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wait. you had a dislocated shoulder and not a separated shoulder?

maybe it is your rotator cuff that is inflamed/damaged and not your scapula. rotator cuff sucks but at least a simple cortical steroid injection will fix it in 3 days. fractured scapula takes 6-8 weeks to heal. i have had both; cracked scapula from motorcycle and rotator cuff from........ wait for it......





painting baseboard trim. getting old sucks.
 

420grover

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Not a separation but I broke my scapula into 6 pieces in a motorcycle wreck. ****** doctors, no surgery, no rehab, shoulder still kinda screwed up 23 years later.
 

BlueRaider22

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wait. you had a dislocated shoulder and not a separated shoulder?

maybe it is your rotator cuff that is inflamed/damaged and not your scapula. rotator cuff sucks but at least a simple cortical steroid injection will fix it in 3 days. fractured scapula takes 6-8 weeks to heal. i have had both; cracked scapula from motorcycle and rotator cuff from........ wait for it......





painting baseboard trim. getting old sucks.



He originally said “bump on the shoulder”.....and mentioned having a separated shoulder. Both allude to the AC joint and not the GH joint (ball and socket). So I was going with the impression of a separated shoulder and not a subluxation/dislocation.

That being said, AC separations most often occur from FOOSH (falling on outstretched hand) mechanisms.....or falling onto the shoulder itself. So it is possible to injure the rotator cuff and/or labrum.
 

Justwar

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From what I've understood via Google medicine that it can be several issues all that involve the bump that is bone.
 

Justwar

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He originally said “bump on the shoulder”.....and mentioned having a separated shoulder. Both allude to the AC joint and not the GH joint (ball and socket). So I was going with the impression of a separated shoulder and not a subluxation/dislocation.

That being said, AC separations most often occur from FOOSH (falling on outstretched hand) mechanisms.....or falling onto the shoulder itself. So it is possible to injure the rotator cuff and/or labrum.

I honestly don't know what caused it either. Just woke up one morning and shoulder was on fire. I assume it was something I did the night before but I waited it out for 4 more days thinking I just slept wrong. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain so I don't know the level of pain it should be. Complicates things that I'm a wheelchair user. So my shoulder is like knee but even more important to be honest
 

drawing_dead

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you will not break your scapula sleeping. it is pointing to the shoulder and probably a rotator cuff tear.

there will be no doubt once you go to ortho; a 90lb girl put me on the floor when testing me by having me push/try to prevent her from pushing. OUCH!

MRI confirmed the mild tear/inflammation and a simple shot of cortical steroid fixed me up. a little PT after that and good to go.
 

BlueRaider22

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A cuff tear would cause a bone to raise at the top?


No. An AC separation is far and away the most likely cause.



 

BlueRaider22

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Also, you could have a false positive. Most people have asymmetry of the posture of their shoulders. It's possible that you could have one shoulder that is more anterior tipped/protracted than the other which would yield the appearance of AC joint asymmetry. This "could" be caused or aggravated by sleeping on it.