If you have a separated shoulder, you’re likely getting a bit tired of sitting around, and being unable to participate in your favorite sports and recreational activities. We get it – nobody likes going through separated shoulder rehab therapy.
That’s why we’ve come up with these helpful tips that can aid you during your rehab and therapy for a separated shoulder. If you follow this advice, you’re sure to recover more quickly, and get back to your favorite exercises in no time. Take a look now, and learn more about how to recover from a separated shoulder.
1. Listen To Your Physical Therapist – No Matter What
If you’ve got a more minor separated shoulder, you may be thinking about ignoring some of your physical therapist’s advice, and doing exercises and activities that put your shoulder at risk.
This is a mistake. While it may be difficult to be patient and take things easy during your recovery, doing so will be much better for your long-term health. Listen to everything that your physical therapist has to say – and follow all of their advice during the recovery process.
If you do, you’ll make a full recovery. If you don’t, your recovery may be sub-par, and you risk re-injuring your shoulder in the near future.
2. Immobilize Your Shoulder During Sleep
This is especially important during the first few days of the healing process. Using a sling or a similar medical device, make sure that your shoulder is immobilized in the proper position during sleep. This will help the ligaments heal properly, and ensure that you do not accidentally strain your shoulder during sleep.
3. Use Ice And NSAID Painkillers To Reduce Pain And Inflammation
A separated shoulder can be quite painful, and the swelling and inflammation of a damaged shoulder joint is not comfortable. You can use NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory) pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen in order to relieve some of the pain and inflammation of a separated shoulder.
In addition, ice packs are usually recommended to help with pain and swelling directly after the injury. Apply them for 20-30 minutes every 3 hours, or as directed by your physical therapist.
4. Perform Stretching And Strengthening Exercises As Directed By Your Physical Therapist
After your shoulder has recovered somewhat, you’ll likely need to perform some stretching and strengthening exercises to ensure that you can restore your strength and range of motion. This is particularly true if you have had your shoulder immobilized for more than a few days.
Make sure to follow all of the instructions provided by your physical therapist for shoulder stretching and strengthening exercises. And, most importantly, don’t overdo it! Again, it’s tempting to try to perform too many exercises to speed up your recovery – but if you strain your joint and ligaments too much, this can be counter-productive.
5. Limit Physical Activity – Take This Time To Rest
Recovering from a shoulder separation takes time. You can expect to spend about 4 weeks recovering from a grade 1 injury, 8 weeks for a grade 2 injury, and 12 weeks or longer for a grade 3 injury.
Limit yourself to doing things like walking, hiking, and other low-intensity exercises that do not require the use of your shoulder. Other options include using an elliptical machine, stair climbing, and stationary cycling, as long as your physical therapist approves these activities.
Take this time to rest and relax. This may be difficult if you’re an active individual, but it’s essential for your recovery. Don’t engage in any exercises that could put your shoulder at risk.
Follow These Tips – Avoid Damaging Or Re-Injuring Your Shoulder!
It takes a long time to recover from a shoulder injury – but by following these tips, you can shorten the length of your treatment time, and ensure that you don’t re-injure yourself by following incorrect healing procedures during separated shoulder rehab therapy.
