UKC

I hit a patch of ice on the way to work yesterday and came off my bike, thumping my left shoulder and hip in the process. Didn't seem too bad yesterday, and there's no bruising or anything, but this morning I've got quite limited shoulder movement. I'm hoping it'll just settle down after a few days, but wondered whether this is overly optimistic?

In reply to FrankBooth:

Came off my bike once and landed on my right shoulder - which was a better result than landing on my head at the time.

Couldn't lift my arm above shoulder height for about a week, which made getting dressed, etc, a bit of a pain.

Rest and Neurofen, etc, etc.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

sounds very similar! thanks

In reply to FrankBooth:

I've had similar after a mountain bike crash, and again, settled over a week or so, so I guess it was just swelling & bruising.

In reply to FrankBooth:

Might be worth getting it looked at if you have swelling and pain. I once fell off my bike and didn't realise I had fractured my elbow until reluctantly going in to the minor injuries unit.

In reply to FrankBooth:

Funniest thing about that crash was my Dad happened to drive past the other way as I was walking home pushing broken bike (still living at home in the days before mobile phones) and did a classic double-take before standing on the brakes :-D

The other guy I was with when I crashed (random bloke I'd met that morning) went home via the bike shop to buy a crash helmet.

In reply to FrankBooth:

I rested mine after a fall, thinking it would just sort itself out. When I finally gave up (about three weeks later) and went to the physio turned out trying to rest it was the worst thing I could do as mobility had deteriorated. I couldn't manage things like doing my bra up (thankfully M&S do zip up the front versions). I have a history of doing the wrong thing, and what I'd be doing was leaving it a week then visiting the physio. You may wish instead to get a more immediate Dr appt!!!

In reply to FrankBooth:

Few days is nothing. Give it longer. I came of my bike with minor injuries and still have them 2 months later. Rest, Ice, Care, Elevation. Take anti-inflammatories and then do some light mobility stuff and see a doctor and physio if not get better.

In reply to FrankBooth:

I ended up with a partially dislocated collar bone after my tumble a couple of years back. ( it was a choice between a grass verge or a milk tanker - so the grass verge won) I managed to ride the 35 miles home then presented myself to a&e who confirmed that it was not broken ( but no mention of the dislocation) and gave me diclofenac for the pain. I was unable to drive for a fortnight and off the bike for about a month - and when I eventually got referred by my GP to see a specialist some weeks later, he said that as it was not causing any further pain it was best to leave well alone due to the number of nerves and blood vessels in the area. It still clicks a bit - and it took me over 2 years before I had enough confidence in my shoulder to test it out on a climbing wall.

In reply to FrankBooth:

Its usually worse on day 2. If it doesn't start to feel better in the next few days you might start to worry.

In reply to FrankBooth:

I suggest that you get it looked at ASAP. I fell on the ice a few years ago and had similar initial problems which increased over a few weeks. I ended up having to have a shoulder operation which kept me out of action for a couple of years!
Good luck, Chris.

In reply to FrankBooth:

I wouldn't worry too much. I fell off twice last year in the space of about a month injuring both of my shoulders. In the end after about 3 months of them not getting better I went to see a physio.

They couldn't find a specific problem and suggested I'd probably just given my ligaments a hefty shove. They recommended some gentle exercises with a resistance band that helped things pretty quickly.

In reply to FrankBooth:

You want t have been icing that from day one. Maybe too late to do much good now.

In reply to FrankBooth:

I did the same a while back. The physio stood me in-front of a mirror with my top off and asked if my shoulder had always looked like that (compared with the opposite one).

I had a disrupted ACS - a partial dislocation. Classic rugby players injury.

Find a mirror/ get to a physio?