Who's had it? Acromioclavicular joint resection surgery. Advice needed/welcomed

TL;DR

 

Exactly. Lets keep this rolling, maybe you'll get an informed/coherent reply.

 

I think @ToyoMafia is doing a flag release this weekend, that would make a perfect sling
https://www.toyomafia.com/

 

Octothorpemetoo

 

IMO, you are overthinking it. Had the same or very similar procedure many years ago. I took the $2 Wallyworld sling they gave me at the hospital and used it for a week or so, but honestly just learned to keep my arm tucked without it. I pushed the range of motion of the joint everyday but only to the point that it became quite uncomfortable. I think the kids these days call that biofeedback or some such? I was changing the starter in my POS bronco a few days after the surgery in15 degree weather on a sheet of ice (made it easy to slip under the truck). But I didn’t stress the joint (much) with heavy weight until the doc cleared me after a month or so.

I don’t recommend that you follow that same path; I just bring it up to say even after being dumb about recovery and doing zero physical therapy (it either wasn’t recommended or covered - I dunno..) that my shoulder was 80% after a month, 90% after two months, and 95+% after 3. The only reason I wouldn’t call it 100% is that I get a small amount of stiffness/ache/pain after I really push it or work it hard. But I could throw a baseball straight for the first time in two years. And I have never felt that the injury and ensuing surgery to be a hindrance to mobility or strength after getting it fixed.

We had a three-lift 1000 lb club back then, and I was able to make it there after less than a year of lifting 2-3 times a week for less than an hour each. Lots of other physical activity and other “workouts” but weights were a only a couple hours a week. Bench was my weakest lift as I never cared to push it again. The injury was actually a series of injuries over a couple of years. After the last incident, it was so bad that I could pop the clavicle out of the joint at will by pushing my elbow back, rotating my shoulder forward, and clenching some muscles. When I showed the doc he about died - thought it was awesome and horrific at the same time.

I really don’t lift anymore but actually work the shoulder much harder than I ever did before the injury. So the repair was exceptionally well done, IMO. The sling I wore afterwards had next to nothing to do with recovery or comfort in recovery - that’s just my opinion, though. And I was much younger. And dumber. Geez, I’m not that old but that sounds weird to say..

Forgot to add that your shoulder will feel weird - like maybe it’s not attached correctly - for a week or more, so I don’t think that getting comfortable in a sling now would be helpful. It will all feel different when you actually need the sling. Swelling and aching (not necessarily pain, per se, but almost an itchy ache) can be an issue. I tried my best to stay on top of that with the scripts and OTC NSAIDs they gave me. I used that to push the mobility. Once it swells up, it’s harder to really test the limits of mobility and know if the joint is telling you that it’s at the limit for that day, or just cantankerous in general.

 

either one of these will work just fine. You may get a bit more relief initially with the one that includes the bolster. Being able to secure the arm is going to be key to assist with pain control in the short term. You will be fine though - stay ahead of the pain curve for the first few days. I get people who don’t want to take pain medicine, especially the narcotics. There are alternatives. But if you get trapped in a pain cycle, it is a miserable existence and prolongs recovery.

these are the ones we typically use:

$81 DonJoy UltraSling III Shoulder Support Sling, Small

https://www.amazon.com/DonJoy-Ultra...663588976-B01781SCIK-&hvexpln=73&gad_source=1

 

Healthy fat as in steak? lol
I would say this on the sling, unless the one they give you is really making you feel uncomfortable, don't rely on it too much after a week (base on the above)
I had a left knee surgery due to a complete broke patella bone and I avoid putting my body weight on that left side of the body and needless to say, the muscle declined so fast that it took me over 2 years to get back on par track with what was before, and now I am almost doing it again....sigh

 

knee surgeries are tricky, you break your leg bone, big deal, they heal faster, but joints? Those are PIA cause you are applying pressure from both top and bottom, making it essentially almost impossible to heal correctly. And many don't, pushing it further than they should to begin with and bam! back to square 0 to do it all over again.
But that's also the fear of some, especially those that don't tolerate pain too well, they tend to lay off on even using it, and watch 4 months go by and the muscle mass just shrink like it wasn't there before and you would quadruped your effort to get in back.....

 

Getting old also sucks, as @shifty` can attest to that as well.....lol
I no longer know how to feel what is right/wrong in a recovery.....

 

Well damn...... You really need to see how to build up some more muscles.....

 

Get a BFST wrap!
These are phenomenal for getting oxygen rich blood to flow through the injury/repair without muscle contractions or movement. It works on IR frequencies that move blood similar to an electromagnetic system. I tore my rotator cuff and fractured my AC joint in a fall and with this device, coupled with resistance band PT, I tested @95% strength after 8weeks. (No surgery). I used the wrap 4 times a day followed by my own PT and then ice after the PT. Rest 4 hours and repeat. Dr. said that was too much PT at first but then he couldn't believe my progress so he asked me to show him exactly what I was doing and he was shocked.

https://shop.tshellz.com/products/s...arge-use-on-either-the-left-or-right-shoulder

Works on any injury, joint, tear, break or area of concern.
Hope this helps.

 

I'd try to up the collagen intake. Easy with a meat diet. The grisly parts of steak and the stuff people call "silver skin" should work or have chicken legs/wings and gnaw the chewy bits off the bone. Bone broth is good for it too. Not only is it good for joints, but healthy skin as well.

 

Supplements are not always biologically accessible. Way better to get it in food. You might load up on it in a powder, but how much can your body actually absorb in the chemical mess they put it in?

 

True but the process of healing is all about getting blood to flow through the joint and carry away the dead cells and bring in new ones. Immobilization prevents it from being reinjured by not allowing it to move but movement is what creates blood flow. This wrap allows both to occur simultaneously without the risk of reinjuring. I'm not saying it's a miracle worker, but damn close!! Totally worth the $ imo.

 

Yes, but do you eat the "gross" parts? I know you avoid bone in wings because you don't like getting dirty. Do you gnaw on the cartilage and such on any of those meat meals?