Ouch

My cousin's son got slammed on the bottom and knocked his arm out of socket. He was out for about 4 to 5 weeks and gradually started back in. Paddling was hurting him for a couple weeks after that, but he is all good now. I think the bigger problem was his fear of it happening again after that, causing him to be very hesitant to paddle for anything over 2 to 3 foot. Lately he has been doing better with that, too.

 

I sprained my shoulder a long time ago and it took awhile to be back to 100%. Initially I couldn't lift anything for a for a month or so but after that I think paddling actually helped. It took over a year before I could throw a ball without pain.

 

I tore my left shoulder the end of last May surfing overhead windchop when I fell and landed wrong on an inside closeout. It was the same shoulder that got nailed during a T-bone car accident that got me into Tai Chi 18 years ago, so it was it was already weak and giving me issues before that. I have several friends that can not surf, that were big wave surfers and motocross riders, due to shoulders going shot.

I rested it for a month, just doing gentle tai chi and stretching so it would not lock up, while doing some research on this here surf predictin forum, getting sound medical advice. I also talked to some surf buddies and lifeguards who had been through it.

I swam with fins, mostly on my ack, to stay in the water, the eased into freestyle. Now I swim over a mile with no fins.

You can YouTube some surf shoulder strengthening videos. Go real easy. I started with 5 lbs. 10 reps, now I am doing 2 sets of 8 lbs. 20 reps, and am going to start bands in a month. I didn't do pushups for the first couple months, then eased into them, now I can bang them out and am going to start burpees next month,maybe.

A friend told me it took him 18 months to completely rehab, but now he is stronger than before. I surfed this fall and winter in well overhead surf, I just had to be cautious, pick my spots and waves, and not go for broke, in terms of length of session, or doing multiple go outs in one day, or surf more than two days in a row, to give it time to rest.

Don't go under the knife until you try this. And if you don't have shoulder issues and you are getting older, start doing light weights 3 days a week to keep them strong. Lots of reps, light weights = lots of paddle power= lots of waves with less or no injuries.

Keep us posted jballen2, and get well soon.

 

Physical Therapy can bring you back. My buddy popped his out trying to turtle a huge set. He was back in 5 months stronger than when he hurt it and got to pass on surgery.

He was a maniac, started slow - but by the end he was doing TRX strap push ups on with his feet on fitness balls.

 

Yo, learn how to pop it back in place. That will save minutes to hours of tremendous pain.

Not shoulder but had knee dislocated all because of those people at Freestyle. You know, the shark watches. It was all their fault. Got a free watch out of it though, which was nice.

I learned that there is some really scary white trash in the Toms River area, as I sat at the hospital. And you think my North Jersey bashing is unfounded.......Plus, my incident happened at the Casino Pier. It's always North Jersey.

No, there isn't any Central Jersey, silly gooses. You are either North or South