Anybody here have surgery for a grade 4? I had surgery early January and I started my old construction job this week. Even trying to stay light duty it feels sore and off. Not painful but very weak and sore. Not sure if I should back off or keep at it till I build the muscles to stabilize the joint. Thanks.
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Ac joint separation
- Thread starter Cmb1025
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I’ve had two shoulder repairs for torn labrums not for ac but I’ve had many ac separations on both shoulders and just let them ride out. Not fun injuries to deal with but I would say just continue to try and build up some strength but you’ll probably always have a little pain from here on out shoulder is a delicate joint. Work on your traps and upper back strength to help support that upper area of shoulder and neck that both suffer from an ac tear as well as the atrophy from the surgery. 30 years of ice hockey and my shoulders will never be the same unfortunately. Get serious about yoga could help a lot also had good luck with acupuncture.
I’ve never had surgery for my ac separation. Physical therapy on a couple of occasions helped. I do an impingement in that shoulder every great once and awhile.
Sounds like you haven’t used your shoulder for quite sometime? Surgery in Jan and now back to work. Probably just a very weak and atrophied shoulder. Only you know if the pain is the kind you should be concerned with or just muscular soreness from working out. If it were me I’d try to build the muscle up. That’s what they would do in physio. Just my opinion though.
It's very weak and atrophied but I do my pt everyday so im trying to stay on it. Been out of a sling for 2 months and full rom for a month. Just having a hard time having faith and very worried about pushing it to hard to soon. I started doing pt on my own 2 weeks ago. I don't see my surgeon still the beginning of July. I'll probably try and call him tomorrow. Thanks for the input.
Do you have some pt bands at home and also a two pound dumbbell? Can really start improving strength for your small isolator muscles with just those doesn’t take much to build strength in the shoulder. Don’t overlook those large supporting muscles I mentioned earlier. Rebuilding your strength is obviously important but make sure to be working on your range of motion I think this is often overlooked or something most become complacent with trying to improve beyond what they think is the new norm. Pain is often the biggest culprit of not regaining your range of motion. Obviously every patient is different and can change how to approach rehab like age and condition before the injury. I was rehabbing my shoulders after major injuries but I was also in my early and late 20s and was in phenomenal physical condition being a collegiate ice hockey player so I was able to and also told to work through the pain to get stronger and regain range of motion. If I had the same surgery now at 44 it would probably be a drastically different approach. My shoulders are still something I have to pay attention to today. Gentle joint but I’m thinking you may have to battle through a little to get it back up and running. Work it then ice ice oh ya and some more ice lol.
- Nov 3, 2010
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I had a right shoulder open bankhart repair and capsular shift in 2002. It has never been the same since.
My left AC joint is seperated, 3-4 mm. I never needed surgery but hate to tell you it will probably never be 100 percent again.
Yea I need to ice it more. Never been a big icer even for rolled ankles playing basketball haha. I'm a gym and training nut so I got the weights and bands going, think I started my construction job to soon. Also I'm 34 so hoping to have a full recovery. I got surgery not even a week after my crash and my surgeon said it was acute so it should heal very well. Also got a cadaver tendon in there. My main thought is will it be beneficial to take a couple more weeks off or stop worrying about it and build it up. I realize not many people have had the surgery but I appreciate the input.
Orthopedic surgery has come along way thankfully. Hopefully it doesn't hinder you to badly.
Ya definitely never 100 again lol. Man 34 is young you should heel well. I think at 34 you should be able to push a little but don’t listen to me about pain and pushing yourself I’m a hockey guy I might make it worse
My different approach would be a little less aggressive. I would most likely do all the same type of pt but I just think it would be a little less of all I want to do is get back on the ice and more I want my shoulder to be good for my later life. If that makes sense
- Nov 3, 2010
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I wish I could have had my surgery in todays times, but it had to be done. I have problems for the rest of my life from it but not blaming that on the surgery itself. I did/had a lot of damage and some is still there. Last Ortho visit discovered a bone fragment still there that unfortunately would cause more damage than helped it removed now.
Back in the 90's when I lived in DFW, I had my shoulder worked on. Continuously the doctor told me "Troy had the same surgery and he's fine now." Uhh, hey...I was in great shape buddy, but my PT cuts off after 6 weeks and I have a desk job and not paid to work out 8 hours a day.
What they did to me was for impingement; but they ground out part of the A/C joint to make more room for the tendon. I think this is the procedure:
A-C Joint & Distal Clavicectomy.
All I know is it took FOREVER to heal and get strong again. 2 years before I was lifting anywhere close to what I used to be able to do. I think part of it was in the mid 90's they didn't send you directly to PT the next day, they waited all of 2 weeks for me!!!! Built up way too much scar tissue. The biggest thing I did was listen to a good friend's uncle who I met AFTER the surgery and he was not a fan of operating on a "kid" but said do not do incline bench press and you'll be fine. I stopped, and the pain went away for the most part. It's still FUBAR but not as bad as the left. I just don't want to go through that again.
