Shoulder Separation

Yes. With the proper treatment and rehab, you'll be fine. The hard part will be the waiting, followed by the long, slow process of regaining strength and range of motion.

 

Sorry to hear Pump. Sprained a shoulder years ago and it took a long time to get full range of motion back. LB is right aboot the waiting part. Don't rush it. Good luck.

 

had a similar injury a few years back at Blue, snowboarding though.

I was back in the water 4 weeks later, still acts up from time to time... especially when riding a ton with wide handlebars or having really long surf sessions, but nothing debilitating.

heal up mang, hope you get some more DH this season.

PS, tell us about the feature and how gnarly it was

 

You came to the right place! I've separated or dislocated both of my shoulders countless times. I'm still surfing years later. As a matter of fact, the motion of paddling has strengthened them both over time. But I recommend you take it very slow at first.

You should listen to your body and don't push it too hard too soon. At the same time, don't let it get too stiff from babying it too much either. Anti-inflammatory's are your friend, keep a steady dose of that for a few days. Wait a couple days after the injury and then slowly increase the range of motion one day at a time through stretching.

For me, whatever hurts is what needs to be stretched the most, meaning I will hold a stretch a bit longer when I find a source of pain, but don't do anything to further injure yourself, know your limits when your body says enough.

After you can fully lift your arm above your shoulder without too much trouble, start doing shoulder exercises to gain strength and stamina. First I start with no weights at all and do as many reps as possible till it's hard to do more. After a few sessions of this, upgrade to light weights, 2lbs dumbbells, and then slowly work up to 5lbs. There are lots of easy workouts you can do, google works wonders for this.

Avoid doing push ups / pull ups until you feel pretty good. I personally stay away from pull ups all together for the most part, just not worth the risk to me. But push ups you'll be fine after you get your strength back enough to support your body weight. Then you'll only want to do a small amount in one session, and work your way back up.

Lastly, paddling a surfboard is a great way to increase the range of motion and build muscle around your joint to strengthen it over time. I will take the LB out and paddle flat water for distance and small wave days till i'm ready to get back out there 100%. More than anything, just stay active and don't let it turn to rust. And when all else fails, smoke a pound of herb, mother nature's cure for life's ailments.

 

I'm 46 and about three years ago had a minor shoulder injury. Paddling a surfboard is the only thing that still bothers it. Its the recovery stroke that hurts too not the pull stroke. Reaching upwards repeatedly hurts like I'm wearing out the joint. The pull stroke feels fine. Its really put a damper on my surfing when there is a lot of current or if it requires a vertical takeoff on bigger days. Go figure.

 

Good as long as the bike is ok.
Haha no actually I'm dealing with the same thing right now, I fractured some bone in there somewhere and separated my AC joint. I was surfing fresh off the broken wrist and my arm was still weak so I went for a layback, blew out the fins and threw my arm back to catch myself for the revert and feckin wrenched the thing out. It wasn't fun paddling in, I had to do it lefty.
Sucks.
I just bought a Santa Cruz Nomad. Right before I broke my wrist. Then my shoulder. I haven't ridden the thing once.

 

Take some light weight dumbells and raise your arm straight out in front of you all the way up till your hand is at the same height as your shoulder, hold it and slowly let it down and do it with the other going back and forth till you gas out. Then do the same thing but with your hands being raise at your sides simultaneously, again do this slowly up and down. When you get your hands to the same height as shoulder, hold it a sec and then back down.

Another one, lay face down on an inclined bench, holding very light weight dumbbells, do what looks kinda like your making a snow angel in the snow laying down but face down instead. Bring the weight from your hip / thigh area all the way up above your head till they touch while supporting the weight slowly and controlled all the way up and back like a laying down jumping jack in slow motion. Do as many as you can till you can't do it anymore. Don't let the weights / hands fall below your body, keep them parallel.

Last one, lay on one side on the ground or on a mat, resting weigh on one elbow / forearm, hold a lightweight dumbbell with the other, pin your elbow to your the side of your hip / thigh area with your hand / weight bent at a 90 degree angle and just slowly raise the weight from you waist area above your body just rotating the arm while your elbow is still connected to your hip / thigh.

 

Soak in epsom salt too, helps me a lot

 

Double down for sure

 

I thought or fought you was from NE/RI/ME zones

Where you from Haydukes

Waters soft and boulders hurt...Get well Pump Dawg

 

You may have to change hands when you take the edge off.

 

HAHAHA I find it builds stamina

 

The stranger, get familiar with it

 

that's a good one

 

Heal fast, surf faster.
All best!