AC joint tear

[whitingja]

So I found out I have a grade 2 Acromioclavicular tear(AC joint) on my right shoulder, so I have to rest for 6 weeks. This means no bow practice or heavy weights. Has anyone had this before, and if so, what was the healing time like, and are you able to function normally after? Oh, I did it during crossfit. Handstand walks, fell over and hit my shoulder. Sucks! Thanks for any info.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

Had it two years ago. Same level tear from a snowboarding accident. Took me like 10 weeks to be able to pull my bow if I remember correctly. They told me 6 also.

Mine still pops and grinds a bit but I'm good to go for the most part. One of those injuries that will come back with age I'm sure.

 

[fillthefreezer]

did mine in highschool lifting, post broken collar bone. still pops and grinds. took like 6wks to get back to activity if i remember correctly

 

[whitingja]

Damn, 10 weeks. That would really suck. Any pain anymore?

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

A little when I put it in extreme positions. Kind of like pinching a nerve. Nothing that will limit me at all from doing anything.

 

[Colo4x4XJ]

Class 3 on my left shoulder and class 2 on my right. I didn't let either of them heal correctly now they are deformed; my right one clicks and can pull and stretch when Rock climbing and my left one can only sling a rifle for a short time before it starts to get pretty painful. My point? Don't do what I did- get it taped with a dynamic tape to pull the shoulder up towards your clavicle and let it heal and be patient.

 

[Mudd Foot]

Would strongly suggest seeking your orthopod's advice regarding Physical Therapy. It has made a world of difference with my impingement. Did not seek PT the first go around, as I mistakenly thought that my years of being a gym rat taught me all the shoulder exercises. This was a complete fallacy on my part. Wish I would have requested PT a year earlier.

just my $.02,

 

[whitingja]

Mudd foot: already scheduled with PT. I want to know what exercises I can do to speed up recovery.

 

[Zackman]

Even though it is a non-weight barring joint, the soft tissue structure surrounding the shoulder is very complex; and tough to rehab. You may want to rush back to normal activity, but depending on your age, you may want to be careful. If it means taking a step back from your normal training regimen for up to 12 weeks, you might want to consider that. It may suck for the next few months, but it beats have surgery to repair significant problems and taking 6+ months to return. Consult your PT and I hope things get back to normal soon

 

[whitingja]

Good advice zackman. I am going to try and take it easy. I will focus on legs and cardio for now.

 

[steve s]

There can be some variation in a grade II tears, but aside from the first couple weeks, your not really waiting for the ligaments to heal as much as working to resolve the associated pain and swelling - assuming no other damage. Keep icing it, use a sling for a week or two, but start working on shoulder pendulums and elbow/wrist range of motion asap if your not already in PT. Taping can help with pain/swelling if your having real trouble with it. You can overdue it, but you can also prolong your recovery by not doing anything. Look for a PT with an OCS, ATC, SCS (all certified in ortho or sports - just tells you they know what they are doing) - at a minimum look for a PT with sports experience. You'll want to avoid overhead lifting, but if your smart about what you start doing in a few weeks, you can avoid associated strength loss by doing the right low stress strengthening weeks 3-6 so you are ready to go as soon as your shoulder is. Shoot me a pm if you need anything - steve

 

[whitingja]

There can be some variation in a grade II tears, but aside from the first couple weeks, your not really waiting for the ligaments to heal as much as working to resolve the associated pain and swelling - assuming no other damage. Keep icing it, use a sling for a week or two, but start working on shoulder pendulums and elbow/wrist range of motion asap if your not already in PT. Taping can help with pain/swelling if your having real trouble with it. You can overdue it, but you can also prolong your recovery by not doing anything. Look for a PT with an OCS, ATC, SCS (all certified in ortho or sports - just tells you they know what they are doing) - at a minimum look for a PT with sports experience. You'll want to avoid overhead lifting, but if your smart about what you start doing in a few weeks, you can avoid associated strength loss by doing the right low stress strengthening weeks 3-6 so you are ready to go as soon as your shoulder is. Shoot me a pm if you need anything - steve

Thanks Steve, great advice. I will contact you if I have any questions.