Breaking Down a Separated Shoulder

The most flexible joint in the body, our shoulders carry quite a load. Being able to twist and move the arms into many positions makes them vulnerable to injury. One of the most misunderstood is a shoulder separation.

“Separated shoulder is interesting because I think people get it very confused with dislocation of the shoulder or other injuries of the shoulder,” says Dr. John Mehalik, who is an orthopedic surgeon on medical staff of Lee Memorial Health System.

A typical dislocated shoulder refers to an injury where the upper arm bone slips out of its socket. Separation is a separate issue.

“What happens is the ligaments that actually help hold your shoulder up that are attached to the clavicle become either stretched or torn,” says Dr. Mehalik.

Visually, patients see their clavicle pointing upward. When in fact the bone isn’t sticking up, their shoulder is drooping down.

“Treatment is really predicated on how much dysfunction there is and how much pain there is with your shoulder being at a droopy position,” says Dr. Mehalik.

Minor strains are treated with ice, anti-inflammatories and rest. Severe tears may need surgery.

“We have to do something to try and improve stability again, pulling the shoulder back into the position that mother nature intended,” says Dr. Mehalik.

Using a tendon graft surgeons reinforce the damaged ligaments, creating a scaffold for the body to repair itself.

“Just like it occurs in ACL reconstruction in the knee, your body slowly but steadily actually dissolves the old cells that were in the old material and develops new cells in their place,” says Dr. Mehalik.

An uplifting treatment, patients with a severe separation can return to normal function, pain-free.

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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I've separated my shoulder before