50k-shoulder injury

**newguy1110** · 07-24-2012, 10:45 AM

Hey everyone...

I was recently diagnosed with distal clavicular osteolysis or Weightlifter's shoulder. It is a painful deterioration of the distal end of the clavicle (collar bone). It is an overuse phenomenon that causes tiny fractures along the end of the clavicle. A breakdown of the bone (osteolysis) occurs.

The doctor says mine looks minor and should be okay in 4-6 months, but it has already been about 3 months and it still doesn't feel, even a little, better.
The reason for this post is because I'd like to see if anyone else has had experience with this injury.
It would be great to hear how severe your injury was, how long it took to heal and weather or not you required the surgery (Mumford procedure or distal clavicular resection)

Thank you in advance!

**newguy1110** · 07-24-2012, 12:35 PM

*Bump

**xoticmike** · 07-25-2012, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by newguy1110

Hey everyone...

I was recently diagnosed with distal clavicular osteolysis or Weightlifter's shoulder. It is a painful deterioration of the distal end of the clavicle (collar bone). It is an overuse phenomenon that causes tiny fractures along the end of the clavicle. A breakdown of the bone (osteolysis) occurs.

I would love to hear more about this.. (e.g. how you came to realize how you had a problem, how painful it was/is during and after workouts, or if there was ever a super sharp pain associated with it early on)

**jutsinger** · 07-25-2012, 07:29 PM

I was just diagnosed with Rotator cuff tendonitis, labral tear, and distal clavicle edema. I have had these issues for 8 weeks now and it's just horrible. The dr also stated that my edema is minor but yet will take longer to heal than the other injuries. The Tendonitis can be taken care with a few more weeks of PT (already been 8 weeks), my labral tear is extremely minor/small (cartilage doesnt heal...so I will be ok if I stay away from certain activities), but the edema will take a minimum of 3-6 months.

She stated that I can't bench for a long long time and if I have to 'bench' I can do narrow grip incline and DB decline.

Xoticmike...the pain for me was a dull 'bruising' feeling at the shoulder joint (where the bicep tendon attaches) when not working out. When you are working out it feels like your shoulder is being stabbed with a knife that is on fire, coated in snake venom, and 100 wasps stinging the joint. This pain will last a few days after workout and then will gradually disappear until next workout.

**cwolf2875** · 09-29-2012, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by newguy1110

Hey everyone...

I was recently diagnosed with distal clavicular osteolysis or Weightlifter's shoulder. It is a painful deterioration of the distal end of the clavicle (collar bone). It is an overuse phenomenon that causes tiny fractures along the end of the clavicle. A breakdown of the bone (osteolysis) occurs.

The doctor says mine looks minor and should be okay in 4-6 months, but it has already been about 3 months and it still doesn't feel, even a little, better.
The reason for this post is because I'd like to see if anyone else has had experience with this injury.

It would be great to hear how severe your injury was, how long it took to heal and weather or not you required the surgery (Mumford procedure or distal clavicular resection)

Thank you in advance!

I just got back from my sport doctor this Friday and he diagnosed me with the same problem. I hurt mine back in mid-May, kept working out with it despite the pain, but finally I just stopped all shoulder and chest work at the end of July. I havnt done any chest/shoulders since, but the doctor actually told me to get back in the gym and "stop babying it" (in the nicest way possible haha). Basically he explained that the problem will heal on its own but it could take 6 months to many years before I will no longer feel pain. He said that if after a month of hitting it back in the gym the pain is just too much to deal with, then I could come back in for surgery. He explained it as a 15 minute outpatient procedure and that he's had patients get back in the gym and work out full strength within 3 days.

That being said, I still would prefer to avoid surgery at all costs, but when I cant even do a dip/pushup/bench press meaningful weight without significant pain, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to live with it.

**PalmSpringer** · 10-05-2012, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by cwolf2875

I just got back from my sport doctor this Friday and he diagnosed me with the same problem. I hurt mine back in mid-May, kept working out with it despite the pain, but finally I just stopped all shoulder and chest work at the end of July. I havnt done any chest/shoulders since, but the doctor actually told me to get back in the gym and "stop babying it" (in the nicest way possible haha). Basically he explained that the problem will heal on its own but it could take 6 months to many years before I will no longer feel pain. He said that if after a month of hitting it back in the gym the pain is just too much to deal with, then I could come back in for surgery. He explained it as a 15 minute outpatient procedure and that he's had patients get back in the gym and work out full strength within 3 days.

That being said, I still would prefer to avoid surgery at all costs, but when I cant even do a dip/pushup/bench press meaningful weight without significant pain, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to live with it.

I hurt mine in May, and here we are into October. I went to my primary care doctor in June and he said it was an AC injury, which I had already self diagnosed through research (mostly on this site). He said rest it for 6 to 8 weeks. I did not do ANY upper body weightlifting for the next two months. It did gradually get better, but not to the point where i felt comfortable resuming lifting. I decided to go see a Orthopedic Doctor that specializes in shoulder injuries. After an x-ray he said it was DCO. He didn't feel like it was too serious because i have a good ROM, and my pain level has dropped to about a 3 on a scale of 1 - 10.

He said he would do surgery if that is what i wanted, but i should continue to rest it as our bodies have a way of healing themselves. That was two months ago, and I still feel the same. So now i don't know what to do. I am turning 50 next month and am in very good shape for my age, and it's killing me to go to the gym and only do cardio and leg workouts. I started doing very light weights for biceps and triceps, and it does give me a little pain, but I so want to get back to lifting. I am not one to jump into surgery, but i am beginning to believe that my recovery has gone as far as it is going to go.

50k-shoulder injury

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Weightlifter's shoulder/Distal Clavicular Osteolysis

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