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Shoulder Separation Redux...

scott43

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So I've had multiple shoulder separations in my life. I now find though that one side is becoming chronic. That is to say, it's feeling "separated" in normal activities. Is this something that occurs later just through aging? Are there any "solutions"? I do general shoulder maintenance, excercises. But it seems to be worsening with time.. I know we all get old but... Help!
 

François Pugh

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Good luck with that. Maybe it's time to revisit your physiotherapist and get the exercises switched up to match your current condition.

I think I'll do that too, after I finish healing the latest shoulder injury (dislocated last Thursday).
PSA: If you are skiing sans poles because of a shoulder injury, be careful releasing your bindings with your thumb. I guess I did not have my boot high enough and the binding snapped back in to its setting of 8. No I have a broken end of my left thumb to go along with my still not quite useful right arm.......
 

Coach13

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Surgery-to put things back together. I’ve had players require surgery to repair the stretched or torn ligaments that hold the shoulder in place. Once the shoulder separates, the chances of it happening again goes way up. They usually start off with PT exercises, but most end up in surgery.
 

graham418

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I'm finding that, even with the surgery, you have to keep doing the work. Keep stretching and strengthening. Unfortunately, I am finding out that there is no "magic bullet" that makes it all better. Welcome to Old Age pal!!
 

x10003q

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Shoulder surgery is a crapshoot and you could end up exactly where you started. As mentioned, find out if there are updated exercises for your injury.
 

ScotsSkier

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Surgery-to put things back together. I’ve had players require surgery to repair the stretched or torn ligaments that hold the shoulder in place. Once the shoulder separates, the chances of it happening again goes way up. They usually start off with PT exercises, but most end up in surgery.

I'm finding that, even with the surgery, you have to keep doing the work. Keep stretching and strengthening. Unfortunately, I am finding out that there is no "magic bullet" that makes it all better. Welcome to Old Age pal!!

I had the surgery when I separated mine 3 years ago. Not had problems since (touching wood) I would definitely recommend it
 

Coach13

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Prolotherapy. Tightens stretched ligaments.

Not saying your wrong my understanding is the most success with this has been in smaller joints like knee and ankles. If a shoulder keeps separating because ligaments around the shoulder are stretched then they are really stretched to my understanding and more than likely have some tearing as well. Outside of a complete tear ligaments stretch and partially tear like a piece of stretched cheese. That is, thinning in some areas, separating in others. Not an easy or 100% guaranteed fix even with surgery.
 

RuleMiHa

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Prolotherapy. Tightens stretched ligaments.
Not saying your wrong my understanding is the most success with this has been in smaller joints like knee and ankles. If a shoulder keeps separating because ligaments around the shoulder are stretched then they are really stretched to my understanding and more than likely have some tearing as well. Outside of a complete tear ligaments stretch and partially tear like a piece of stretched cheese. That is, thinning in some areas, separating in others. Not an easy or 100% guaranteed fix even with surgery.
Absolutely true! The shoulder is a very complicated joint and there are never any guarantees. I just believe in sharing information and it's up to each individual to do their own research.

Prolotherapy is supposed to work as long as ligaments aren't completely separated (quality of the practitioner is very important). Surgery just sucks so much (and often isn't helpful for stretched ligaments) that IMHO all options should be explored, plus no anesthesia risk. I don't know if the shoulder is a viable candidate but based on the underlying mechanism of disease and the way that prolo works, I felt it at least worth exploring.

I admit I am a fan. I had prolo on my PCL with great success. It was stretched enough that I couldn't run or walk downstairs (I skied in braces) without support, but since it was intact there were no traditional fixes. After four injections I'm skiing without braces for the first time in four years.
 

François Pugh

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In the spirit of sharing information: Decades ago I broke my clavicle, crushed the glenoid into too many pieces to put back in place (they decided an attempt to do so via operation would do more harm than good), and had a cracked scapula. Physio left me with limited mobility.

A few years back I had a third degree separation. Better physio (Charlotye Savela at http://acceleratedphysio.com/ ) got me back the lost range of motion from the previous accident. I kept doing the exercises.

The exercises must have worked, because when I fell last March I broke my humerus at the shoulder (fracture started just below the ball, went through the ball and came back down). I did new stretches/exercises for that one and was just considering doing some strengthening exercises, or at least restarting the ones I had done for the separation. Then I dislocated the shoulder last Thursday.

I'm trying to rest it for another week and start doing the exercises. Churn the butter to start, then walk the wall, push it up sideways with a pole, etc. I'm just waiting for whatever is still clicking on the upper outside to settle down first.

It sucks having to slow down for bumpy snow, but at least I'm skiing.
 
Thread Starter
TS
scott43

scott43

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Yeah, it doesn't feel unstable or torn, it's just a bit clicky at times and painful. I'm loathe to go surgery route.. I guess I'll investigate some physio. Sux getting old..
 

Kneale Brownson

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Meant to add that when I had a fracture/dislocation during a PSIA national academy at Snowbird, they told me I was lucky because the piece of bone that came off the humorous allowed it to come out without damaging the socket, so a repeat dislocation was unlikely.
 

martyg

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Shoulder surgery is a crapshoot and you could end up exactly where you started. As mentioned, find out if there are updated exercises for your injury.

What aspect of shoulder surgery? “Separation” implies AC joint. Very, very different then rotator cuff or bicep tendon.

I had a grade 3 separation of my AC, with my classical button holing through my skin. That is about as real as it gets. At the time I was on a US team and the team surgeon was nearby. He repaired my my AC.

It took maybe 4 months until I had full confidence in it, but it is 100% now.

Surgery worked for me.
 

oldschoolskier

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Yes I feel your pain.

Play hard, pay hard is the old saying for a reason.

Smart training and conditioning is the only key, as time does come on collect on your deferred injuries as the warranty ran out on body years ago.
 

François Pugh

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Yes I feel your pain.

Play hard, pay hard is the old saying for a reason.

Smart training and conditioning is the only key, as time does come on collect on your deferred injuries as the warranty ran out on body years ago.

The key is "Stop falling on your shoulder!" It's a hard one to follow for some folk though.
Agree with continuing to do the physio and strengthening exercises. I was considering starting some weight training just before I dislocated my previously separated (3rd degree), previously broken (glenoid crushed, scapula cracked, clavicle broken) shoulder. Wish I had considered it a couple of months sooner.
 

Wilhelmson

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What type of movements or falls cause the redux?

I had a pretty nasty separation when I was 23 but it healed up well without surgery. Only thing was I was never able to hit a golf ball 300 afterwards, which is ok cause I stink at golf anyways. For some reason the uninjured shoulder creaks more than the bad one. I think losing some ligaments made it more flexible.
 

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