Hit Shoulder
 

Okay, here is one for the docs.

I crashed my bike (bicycle) on Monday. Riding to work, a block from my house, took a freshly paved corner and didn't see the sand that the construction crew had carefully spread on the surface. Front wheel washed out and I went down hard on my right side and slid. Couldn't get up right away, eventually unbuckled my backpack, pushed the bike off me, got on my hands and knees and slowly stood up. Bloody rashes on right calf, hip, waist, ribcage, forearm, upper arm/side of shoulder; gloves torn up; sand in my kit, wounds, backpack; right shoulder hurt and was hard to move right arm or lift with right hand. But nothing seemed broken.

My experience in these things is that unless something is broken, you have to get back on the bike and keep riding. Otherwise you stiffen up and soon can't move. So I got back on the bike and rode (slowly) to work and home that afternoon (26 miles).

Its five days later, and the rashes are healing, but my right shoulder still hurts. I have full range of shoulder motion, although some of it is a bit painful. I can lift light things with that arm. I have been feeling the clavicle as I move my arm, and nothing seems to be disconnected or moving around in there. I've ridden to work twice more and this morning did about 10 miles with some slow climbing and descending. I can ride normally, including out of the saddle.

The only thing that bugs me is a 1 inch area on the upper surface of my shoulder, just inboard of the joint, that is painful to pressure and where I feel a subtle lump.

My sense is that this is all normal and at worst I have a bit of a hairline fracture or something, so I should just keep on doing what I'm doing and not worry about it.

Make sense?

I’ll defer to the professionals.... but I don’t think it would kill you to get that checked out. ;)

I have had shoulder problems for 30 years. I can tell you that rest and ice are the best medicines. However, if you tore something you might have it looked at. An orthopedic will do a physical examination after taking an xray just to be sure there are no fractures. Even if there is a small fracture all he would do is put you in a sling and tell you to rest it. You know that already.

I doubt you would need further treatment unless saw bones finds something and then you're in for an MRI. By the time all this passes, you'll probably be healed. I like to ride a bit but the jarring through the bars is not good. I'd say take a hiatus and not ride, especially 26 miles. YMMV

Made me lol.

No advice since I have a history of not taking trained medical people's entreaties concerning my physical well-being.

Heal up.

That's where your a/c joint is -acromio-clavicular. The only thing holding the clavicle down is a tendon. It is VERY common to injure it in cycling falls. The tendon damage is graded, I believe 1-3, with 3 being total separation-ie' the tendon is torn, and the lesser being various stretches/strains of the tendon. I've been living with a grade 3 for 30+ years, if it doesn't become arthritic there's no issue.

Go to the doctor knucklehead.

The only problem w a Dr. visit is that he'll discover the doping and have to report you.

Some things to consider, first get a rack for the rear of your commuting bike(s) and some saddle bags to carry things in. Riding with a back pack can easily get your back broken as I saw with a member of the old club named San Diego Wheelmen on a return from a trip to Tijuana for tacos! He slid on gravel and went down and when he tried to get up his legs had no feeling!

Second you should have called 911 and taken an ambulance ride to the ER so they could do x-rays as needed and more importantly scrub out the dirt from all the road rash areas! I had a bad crash at a race in Lemon Grove in 1979 or so and had some bad road rash on my right arm, right leg and right hip. The doctor said it has to be scrubbed and disinfected as there could be some really nasty infection causing stuff in the wounds! Dammmmmmmm it sure hurt!

Third is going hard or fast right away and not looking 300 yards or so ahead for hazards.

Fourth is I hope you were wearing a helmet as you didn't mention it so if not then get one.

If you touch that spot and it hurts like hell, you’ve had a separated shoulder
(The opposite of a dislocated one)

The top of your arm bone went inboard
Spreading (separating) the collar bone and the shoulder blade ( that make up the socket)

Imagine a big elastic band wrapped around holding them together that stretched
The attachment point is where it hurts

It’s a sprain

Treat it as you would a sprain as long as everything is still attached

Ive done it twice to one shoulder and once to the other playing hockey

LOL....I know I broke my big toe behind the nail 5 years ago, and am 99% sure I had a slight refracture of my tibia (right below the knee) about 3 years back...hurt like a mofo for the few weeks it took to heal, but I'll be damned if I was going back in a full leg cast (at my age...atrophy, etc.)...btdt.

But I have no problem urging Fastfred to see a doc :)

It's your call John ;)

Take care....

What doesn't make sense is that you would divert your condition here to an online board and wait for 'what might sound good to you'.

You will have to live the rest of your life with that, whether it is a big deal or not. Wouldn't it actually make better sense to protect your investment, that being YOU, and get an immediate professional overview of your situation?

Not trying to shatter your Acromioclavicular senses here, but it might have made the same amount of sense to walk into a 7 Eleven and ask everyone that came in what they thought. :rolleyes:

Never hurts to get a second opinion and a Slurpee ;)

Point taken about seeing a professional but.....you do realize that not only do we have educated medical professionals here --- there are also those who have had experience with orthopedic injuries and could add useful information.

Hardly a 7-11.....:rolleyes:

Point taken as well. Having had my share of football separations, snowboard, motorcycle get-off Clavicle breaks, Thoughts and good words are comforting but will always come second to sitting in front of a real doctor and instead of all the online doctors in the world. Since he is in the PNW or NorCal, some of the best of the best, to both regions, come out of University of Washington's Medical Center's Bone and Joint Surgery Center.

Better to have it looked at first before the ice melts and superman status dissipates.

Shoulder & Elbow | UW Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Seattle

Even a good online doctor would defer him to a live doctor any day.

Thanks everyone. Sounds like I perhaps should have seen someone at the time. But hey I was wearing a helmet. I'm a big believer in helmets.

I'll baby my acro whatever-it-is and see what happens.

I'm not in the habit of crashing my bike - this is the first off in six years or so - but I notice that I don't seem to land as well as before. Used to be I'd always roll, now I seem to hit and stick.

One of the potential problems with babying it and seeing what happens is if you suffered a real injury and let it heal in a wrong way. Better to have somebody look at it who can be definitive. If it heals wrong, you might have to live with some discomfort you otherwise wouldn't. In a worst case scenario, it might be something you might have to have opened up in the future and corrected.

Ultimately, I was just looking out for ya, mate! I hope you are well. SmileWavy

That is one of the most aggravating truths about getting older. If you are fortunate to do so, all injuries you had when younger become more and more pronounced, the older your get. :)

There are a whole bunch of us on here who can attest to the truthfulness of that.