Shoulder Questions

[BCboy]

Hello all,

I am looking for some advice. Unfortunately I have recently partially dislocated my shoulder while paddling in Uganda. If any of you out there could pass on the name of a good physiotherapist you have used for a similar injury that would be very helpful. Someone around London would be the most convenient. Also, if anyone out there has had the ‘shoulder surgery’ I would be very interested in hearing who carried out the procedure for you, what your recovery time was, the final outcome (100% back to normal?) and if you would recommend having it done.

Cheers

Dean

[Old Coach]

Try UKRGB with this sort of question - you'll be bombarded with info in no time flat.

Tim

[charliew87]

Hi Dean,
Having dislocated his shoulder due to paddling 3 times in the space of 9 months, then once by stretching his chest out on my front doorstep, my friend Chris was ordered to quit paddling and got fast-tracked for the surgery. So far it's worked. That was about a year ago, and he started paddling again on Saturday last week, no twinges, no problems at all...
Your query on whether it's "recommended" to get the surgery done... if it's gone once: not much, no. The shoulder will recover from it, but maybe not quite to 100%. But with each subsequent dislocation in a SHORT period of time (i.e. less than a year) the tendons that hold the shoulder joint together get weaker and weaker, making it much MUCH easier to dislocate (stretching your chest forward did it for Chris, remember!).
But if it's popping out that much / that easily, the doctors' logic is that you basically have to do it, as you could be driving / running / kayaking and it could go at any time. From what Chris told us: when it happens 3 times in a year: it's time to get done. But for partial dislocations, especially if it's only been one, they probably wouldn't do it.
As for people that do it around London: I work in a private hospital near Gatwick, brilliant surgeon called Mr Selvan does wonders, but he works elsewhere as well.
Hope that helps somewhat, but Tim's right: UKRGB would flood you with answers!
Charlie