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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffA separated shoulder is usually treated conservatively. Your doctor may recommend:
- Rest. Avoid activities that aggravate your shoulder pain, especially crossing the affected arm in front of your body. You might want to temporarily immobilize your arm in a sling to take pressure off your shoulder and promote healing.
- Ice. Ice can reduce shoulder pain and swelling. Use a cold pack, a bag of frozen vegetables or a towel filled with ice cubes for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Do this every couple of hours the first day or two, and then as often as needed.
- Medication. Over-the-counter pain relievers also can ease shoulder pain.
- Shoulder exercises. Physical therapy can help you restore strength and motion in your shoulder.
Most people enjoy a full recovery after conservative treatment — although the more severe the shoulder separation, the longer it'll take to regain comfortable use of your shoulder. A minor separation may heal within a few weeks. A more severe separation may take several weeks to months to heal. You may always have a noticeable bump on the affected shoulder, but it shouldn't affect your ability to use your shoulder.
If pain persists or if you have a severe separation, surgery might be an option. Surgery usually involves measures to stabilize the acromioclavicular joint and re-establish normal bony relationships in the shoulder.
- Shoulder separation. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00033. Accessed Nov. 12, 2008.
- Shoulder problems. American Academy of Family Physicians. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/518.html. Accessed Nov. 12, 2008.
- Koehler SM. Acromioclavicular joint injury (shoulder separation). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 12, 2008.
- McMahon PJ, et al. Sports Medicine: Acromioclavicular joint injury. In: Skinner HB. Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Orthopedics. 4th ed. The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2006. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2319233. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Gutman D, et al. Extremity Trauma: Acromioclavicular Joint Separation. In: Knoop KJ, et al. Atlas of Emergency Medicine. 2nd ed. The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2002. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=784421&searchStr=dislocation+of+acromioclavicular+joint. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
