Shoulder Injury

[Zimbo]

I had a fall on my mountain bike about a week and a half ago. Basically, it was off road, I had to ditch my bike at speed and slid into some logs with my right arm taking the blow. When I stood up, it felt like my shoulder was dislocated out the back, however when I straightened up, it "popped" back in. I have been told at the hospital that it was a muscle that moved.

A week later, I have a fair amount of movement back, although at full stretch it is very painful. It is also still quite weak. I think I may have either torn a muscle/stretched a ligament or tendon.

What suggestions are there for strengthening it up as soon as possible. I have been in the water a lot and work out quite a bit, so my body is fit and should heal okay (I hope) but I am thinking that maybe there are stretches/strengthening exercises that I could do? Or should it be left well alone for another week or two?

I appreciate any help.
Thanks

 

[SurfDoc]

Tpugh call there. You could have sprained it, you could have dislocated it, you could have injured the rotator cuff. So, what's the best course? That would be a tough call via the world wide web. Some type of physcial therapy might be a great idea. I would say rest it some at least, and some light stretching would be an acceptable adjunct.

 

[CaiFin]

I dislocated my shoulder last week too. I went to a physical therapist and they gave me this big rubber band and you do exercises with it. Like just small ones that strengthen your muscles and tendons. When you pop out your shoulder you stretch out everything so in order for it to heal you just need to do little exercises that will strengthen the muscle. Dont do weights and i hate to say this but dont surf for at least a week. Overexertion may pop it out again. You should go to a physical therapist if you can. They really help and its important that a someone checks your shoulder out to make sure its in the corrct spot. Apparently when my shoulder popped back in, it went in the worng spot so they had to relocate it. Good luck and be careful. Your shoulder is very vulnerable for injury right now.

 

[pez]

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by 6foot:
<strong>I had a fall on my mountain bike about a week and a half ago. Basically, it was off road, I had to ditch my bike at speed and slid into some logs with my right arm taking the blow. When I stood up, it felt like my shoulder was dislocated out the back, however when I straightened up, it "popped" back in.
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">i did the same thing earlier today actually. luckily it was near by my house and not 4 or 5 miles away in the middle of the woods. i went to the er, had the doctor on duty look at it, x rays etc etc. i think he sai it could be just straind tendons - it's going to be sore for awhile... i do now have a feeling of weakness in my arm. he said that could be an indicator of rotator cuff injury. I'm making an apointment with my orthapdeic doctors who specialize in sports medicine. if it is a rotator cuff issue, that usually requires surgery correct? if so theoetically how long am i out of the water? i have a feeling i may be missing hurricane season up here in New England <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="images/icons/frown.gif" />

this is the second time i've dislocated the shoulder- the first was like 11 years ago comming off this big ass jump on my skis <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" />

pez

[ August 17, 2003, 12:42 PM: Message edited by: pez ]