Bike crash, painful shoulder
So I snuck away Friday at 8 am for a bike ride because I just could not pass up the promised beautiful day. 2 hours into it for no reason at all I fell HARD on my left side going around 17 mph. First thing to hit was my shoulder, then my head hit so hard it sounded like a gun going off. Luckily no head aches, etc, but I will get a new helmet. My shoulder was immediately the source of great pain, but after about 10 minutes I was able to climb back on my bike and ride the 20 minutes back to the house. As I tried to undress I knew I was in trouble so I went to my doc who said he did not think anything was broken. Gave me a radiology referral but said I may not need it, so I did not go.Just a mass of muscles was in a knot on top of my shoulder. Pain meds, anti-inflammatories, and muscle relaxers, I was able to drive to my daughter's track meet and sit in the stands all day yesterday. She drove me home. Today I can move it in all directions albeit very sore. Question is do I go ahead and force physical therapy (i.e. use the sucker at work...I'm a vet and lab puppies have no understanding of sore shoulders) or do I rest? Will ice help? I am swollen so that you can't see my clavicle on that side. Anybody's two cents is worth listening to.
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If its broke it sounds like one that will heal good without surgery but you dont wanna be doing any PT thats for sure...
Have it checked to find out!
X-Ray's don't hurt. They can show when something is much worse than you think. It is amazing what damage your body can tolerate and make you think you're fine. Get the X-ray
My first crash last year (over the handlebars onto my head and R shoulder), did not result in any fractures or separations. However, one week later, I still was incredibly stiff (trouble putting on a T-shirt) and noticed that the tip of my scapula was protruding. Went to see an orthopaedic surgeon (thought I might have a "winged scapula"....bad). X-rayed me and examined me and found I had a huge hematoma under my scapula that was pushing it posteriorly. It took a good month for the pain and stiffness to resolve. Luckily, this crash was during my last race of the season (first aid station) and so I didn't need to train (esp swim) for a few weeks afterward.
Second crash (at 28mph), again over the handlebars (I have now adjusted the front brake so it is "softer" than the rear!
), resulted in an obvious clavicle fracture. Hurt about the same as the above scenario, honestly.
So, good news that nothing appears to be fractured, but you may have a hematoma, strain/sprain/etc. in there amongst all those muscles/ligaments/tendons that is just going to take time to resolve. Agree with Tim that some PT/stretching is probably in order (if OK with your doc). The bend over at the torso and make clockwise and counterclockwise circles with arm dangling straight exercise, same position but elephant trunk swings forward and back, etc.....just to start getting some ROM back.
Just my $0.02.
I'm 3 weeks out from my crash now, my shoulder range is much improved as is pain but still definitely can't swim and can't take the pressure on my arm on the bike. Finally getting in to see ortho tomorrow, though I'm guessing it isn't going to be helpful. Darn shoulders!
So, here's the thing about shoulders...you have lots of range of motion, but at the expense of stability. There are little inside muscles that hold the shoulder in place- those are the 4 Rotator Cuff muscles. They are relatively weak. Then you have the big outside muscles that do the work- traps, deltoid, pecs, etc. The big muscles will do the big work, but if the little muscles aren't already strong and stable, they will tear and become unstable. You also have the cartilage (labrum) that can get little or big tears and you have a joint- that's the Acromio-clavicular (AC) joint- where the front piece (acromion) of your scapula meets the collarbone (clavicle). This joint can be separated by a direct fall on the shoulder. Any problem in these areas can cause pain that will vary depending on how much and how you are stressing it and how much time you are giving it to heal between stresses.
That said, if you are feeling better between swims, your injury is probably minor. Once you are finished your race, you need to get into a doc who knows shoulders and understands athletes. You may or may not need imaging (a good history and exam can usually figure out the problem), but you will need a good PT program in your off season to come back stronger.