I dislocated my shoulder!
 

Well looks like I am done cycling for the summer! This past Saturday I dislocated my shoulder while playing softball. I was in the outfield and threw the ball to second when POP! Out it went. I could not imagine such pain:cry:! I spent 3 hours in the emergancy room and was put under so they could reset it. Going to a specialist on Weds. Hopefully nothing is torn. But is still hurts a lot and my family doctor thinks I may have a slight tear.

Anyone else ever expierince this? If so how long before you were biking again?

Thanks a lot.

Matt

PLEASE DO NOT FOLLOW MY ADVICE... I am not a good role model.

I injured my right rotator... "shoulder joint"... about ten years ago while saving my motorcycle from a low-speed slide. I kept my beloved Kawa H-1 from falling, but wrenched my shoulder really bad. (Ever stuck your elbow in your ear?) In retrospect, I should have tossed the bike, got up, and walked away...

At its worst, I couldn't lift my right arm higher than my shoulder, without having it make noises like an old Toyota with bad struts. It hurt bad enough to make me queasy.

But, being completely unhinged, I continued to ride. Road-bike riding was out of the question, but I discovered that I could ride my hybrid in manageable discomfort. The flat bar and high stem helped, plus, I'd installed mountain bike style bar ends that really helped with my bad arm's reduced reach and strength.

That first ride was eye-wateringly painful, but I went slow, rode smoothly, and shifted only when I absolutely had to. It was Thanksgiving morning and the levee top road was deserted. I taught the rabbits, squirrels, turtles, and other wildlife many colorful words and expressions...

After a week, I'd grown used to the handicap, after a month, I felt much better, even went back to the gym. I didn't even have to restart from scratch. My shoulder still pops & creaks, but it feels just as strong as ever, and (rarely) hurts.

That which doesn't kill you... and doesn't put you in a coma or a wheelchair... can make you stronger.

I'm not saying that you SHOULD ride... just that, if you're obsessed, irresponsible, and stubborn as I am, you CAN.

Agghhh!!! the pain !!! I have never dislocated my shoulder completely, but I have almost dislocated it, the pain!!!! I get really bad sympathy pains, and I have them really bad now!!!. Be careful, and don't be to quick to put stress on that shoulder, or you could do damage to the rotator cuff. Lots of ice and rubbing is good.

I respect Stumon's experience and style greatly, and I can even say I fully admire them, but (as he himself suggested) I wouldn't advise following them in this case. If you could see a sports medicine doctor you would probably get the best advice. Regular MD's are wonderful at a lot of things, but their understanding of sports physiology and the limits and strengths of human performance is sometimes close to zero.

I had a friend at my old job who dislocated his shoulder on a loading dock one day. This was a tough guy about the same age then as I am now (60-ish), but the pain made him weep. I drove him (those days I still had my car) to the emergency room. I think it took three or four weeks at least for him to return to work. But you're a lot younger, so I hope you'll recover quicker.

Meantime, post, don't ride--till you consult an expert, if possible.

ridealot,

Sounds like a real bummer. Be sure to follow your doctor's advice.
Will your doc let you ride your bike on a trainer? That will keep your cycling muscles in shape. Or do you even feel like riding?

I have a question. Were you trying out for a tv commercial, like the one were the Isuzu(??) owners are driving their SUVs while playing polo? I've never heard of anyone riding their bike while playing softball. ;)

Have a speedy recovery.

Ron

Thanks for all the kind words guys! It is amazing on how that when you can't ride, it makes you want to ride even more!

I am hoping that the orthopedic guy says that it is not that bad. He will probably order a MRI and a cat scan I think to see if it is torn. I have not thought about a using a trainer. When I feel better I may try it. It seems that every day the pain is a little worse.

RonH,
No tv commercials here. The thing is I really don't like to play softball. The team at work was really hurting for players so I volunteered to play one game. That is the last time I do that!

JonR,
The pain was the worst I have ever had! My wife said that when they re-set it I yelled real loud. I do not remember a thing because of all the drugs they gave me.

You can get a recumbent :)

recumbents....YEAH!!!!!;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

Saw the specialist yesterday, he says that after two weeks of having the arm in the sling I can cycle again! but..... it looks like surgery will be in my future or else my shoulder could keep "popping" out. He is not sure about surgery but it is not out of the question and probably worth while.

I don't know never been put under the knife. A little worried about this one.

That is a real drag sir Matt. Breaking the collar bone is said to be one of the more painful bones to break. I hope you recover quickly and get back to bicycling.

Stay away from softball. It is obviously a very dangerous game. Sure, it has the glamour and the girls and the glitz, but is it really worth the risk?

Take care, bud.

never dislocated it, but i pinched a nerve in my neck and my arm and shoulder went COMPLETELY numb for a solid month... take care of your upper body, youll miss it when its gone.


speed

MDspeed!!!! Where in South Carolina are you?? I am at Shaw AFB in Sumter. Do you know where I am talking about?

Take it from me, surgery nowadays is nothing to fear--chances of something going wrong are probably a lot less than on a typical bike ride, and as for the experience itself, you literally won't know it happened (except for discomfort afterward while you heal, but you'd have that with or without!). So don't worry about that part, if they do decide you need it.

Sure hope you get better soon.

Thanks Jon for the inspiring words on surgery. I know things are getting pretty routine nowadays. When this happned it was my first time going to the emergancy room. So I am not used to all of this.

The shoulder is feeling ok today, but still sore. Can't wait to get on the bike again. I start physical therapy on Mon and have to do that until Aug 15th and that is when the word comes out on surgery.

Wait a minute.

You dislocated your shoulder. Why are you going "under the knife". That 'aint good. Did you tear your rotator cuff (did I miss something in this thread?).

If you haven't been knocked out for surgery, you'll like that.

I know for sure I was talking stupid in the moments before I konked out. I had the whole surgical team in tears of laughter. It sure made me feel popular. It was like being in one of those weird dreams where you are at a party telling jokes and everybody is laughing and you look down and notice that you are completely naked (but everybody else is fully clothed). Yeah, that is exactly what it was like.

My fear is that I did something worse like farting or something while I was out. According to my wife, that would be par for the course.

Well the x-rays show a divot in my shoulder joint. That divot is possibly going to help in "popping" out my shoulder if I move it certain ways. The doctor is hoping that the physical therapy will strengthan the muscles and help the ligaments heal and hopefully keep the shoulder in place when I move it.

It sounds as if the surgery may be up to me. The only reason for surgery (I think) is to help keeping it from happening again.

Oh, I think surgical teams--unless it's some member's first day on the job--are very used to all the things the human body can do under anesthesia, and would not be impressed one way or the other! ;)

I didn't have any sensations when I went under. The last thing I remember is the anesthesiologist telling me he was about to introduce the anesthetic along with the oxygen, and to think pleasant thoughts. I was trying to choose a landscape to visualize, when the same guy asked me if I remembered him. It had all been over for several minutes, and I was in the recovery room!

A little update here, no surgery is planned as of yet. Physical therapy is going well and doing the trick. See the doctor again on Sept 19. The doctor is a little worried about when I rotate my arm there is this type of "clicking sound and some weird movement. He may fix that but not sure. Recovery time is 3-4 days and another month of physical therapy.

Good thing is I have been able to keep riding. The therapist says that riding is actually good for the shoulder because of the way the muscles are when riding.

Do any therapy the doc recommends religously. I have a atrophied left leg from the days before therapy, I babied it too much.
Ride without babying
Pat

I too am hurting for you. I hear that separation hurts more than broken bones. I've had broken bones . If I ever separate, just shoot me please.:( Get well !

Hey Ridealot,
I am glad to hear you are back on the bike. My dislocation experience stems from BMX days. I had the same popping sound, for a while, but as my shoulder muscles developed more it went away. I still get a neddle sensation there every once in a while but nothing major. I would not worry about it much, over time you will write ot off as an experience.

Hunter, they have just started me back on weights for the shoulder. I am pushing the limit on my ability but anything to help not have surgery is okay with me.

Hi Ridealot,

Hope things are getting better. Let me just tell you a true story. When I was a teen, a friend of mine dislocated his shoulder. They put a plaster stuff (I don't know the English word for it cascet?) on it to prevent the shoulder to move. The guy stayed up all night with an itch. After a few day, he decided he couldn't deal with it anymore and took the plaster stuff out (he broke it with some instrument - which apparently is not easy to do with only one valid arm). Anyway that guy's shoulder has been popping out ever since. He goes swimming: Ouach! the shoulder is dislocated again. HE supports some friends playing soccer, cheers loudly and raise his arms to the sky: ouach again. etc.

So the moral of the story is: whatever the doctor says... you should try.

Bummer about the arm. More evidence that baseball is extremely dangerous.

You may know this already but... sometimes the docs don't explain completely... the shoulder is a shallow joint that is held together by strong, nonstretchy, fibrous tissue. When you dislocate it you HAVE to put a tear in that tissue. It heals by making a scar, which is always somewhat weaker than the noninjured tissue. The younger you are when you first dislocate, the more the likelyhood that you will do it again. Physical therapy strengthens the muscle surrounding the joint and helps support the weakened area. Be religious about it. It will certainly decrease your risk of another dislocation and possible surgery.