Getting back after injury

I'm 4 months post a pretty decent crash on Fromme, broken ankle and dislocated shoulder that was put back in at Lions gate a few hours later. Ouch. North Van fire department were outstanding getting me off the mountain, huge props to them! 

I've worked my ass off at physio and am cleared to go again. Have any of you found a support brace or taping to stabilize your shoulder while not impeding your ride? My shoulder is now stable and it was my first dislocation, but I want to be careful if a crash does happen. I'll prob take it easy on the trails until next year as well. 

Thanks!

I had a major one a year into my foray into biking in my late 30's.

Shifted my focus away from hyperbolic progression to having fun afterwards.

Spent a LOT of time on simple blue trails and upped the speed slowly but consistently. 

Wish I did that from the start.

not really sure there is much you can do for a shoulder, other than strengthening the muscles around it. that and avoiding going out the front door ( otb ).

as others have said not much you can do. Confidence is key.

I spent alot of time in the gym after my last shoulder injury, working with resistance bands, even once i was cleared. Even if you don't feel the need, it really helped with my confidence that the strength was there.

I'm just getting back on the bike myself after a ladder drop gone wrong the first weekend of May. Almost all of my summer poof. Gone. 

<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">I too have been physioing like crazy. Separated shoulder that is still really loose. Bunch of separated ribs that kept dislocating dozens of times per day for weeks. I'd get the hiccups and they'd pop out and I would have to reduce my own ribs manually between 'cups. Badly torn hamstring that I couldn't lift my bare foot off the ground lying on my stomach for over 10wks. </span>

I'm back and, like you, feeling out where the boundaries are. My shoulder, probably like yours, is bouncing around when I ride. I don't know how stable it is - physio says it's not bit they also say it's done healing. I ride with a clavicle stabilizing brace - it might help you too. 

It really sucks doesn't it? But I take a lot of comfort knowing that way worse things are probably going to happen to me- so a sports injury is child's play!!!

Both of my shoulders have been dislocated several times.  I found they generally dislocated when my shoulder was not tensed up.  So now if I can think fast enough I tense up the whole shoulder if falling, body contact in hockey etc.  That worked well until I went over the bars, tensed my shoulder, which resulted in a separated shoulder.

That being said what the other posters said about strengthening is very true as it will be easier to dislocate again since you have stretched all the stuff that holds it together.

While relaxed push your shoulder from behind forwards and you can move it forward while if you tense up it is very hard to budge.

Posted by: Ddean

I'm just getting back on the bike myself after a ladder drop gone wrong the first weekend of May. Almost all of my summer poof. Gone. 

<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">I too have been physioing like crazy. Separated shoulder that is still really loose. Bunch of separated ribs that kept dislocating dozens of times per day for weeks. I'd get the hiccups and they'd pop out and I would have to reduce my own ribs manually between 'cups. Badly torn hamstring that I couldn't lift my bare foot off the ground lying on my stomach for over 10wks. </span>

I'm back and, like you, feeling out where the boundaries are. My shoulder, probably like yours, is bouncing around when I ride. I don't know how stable it is - physio says it's not bit they also say it's done healing. I ride with a clavicle stabilizing brace - it might help you too. 

It really sucks doesn't it? But I take a lot of comfort knowing that way worse things are probably going to happen to me- so a sports injury is child's play!!!

I thought I was going to be gimped for like after separating my shoulder in 2014.  Actually I believe it's as strong now as before with the exception that it looks gross.  You will be able to play with the clavicle bone as it never sits where it's supposed to but scar tissue will keep it in place.

I can even wear a 60lb backpack which I never though would happen with only a minor discomfort and some rubbing.

I picked up my clavicle brace at the pharmacy immediately north of LGH. It was hard to find. It's like a figure 8 across your back. 

At the his point, my shoulder physio concentrates on rotator cuff exercises. I have a theraband at home and at work. 

And I find taping works well for me too. I've been taped a number of different ways - they're all better than no tape.

<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Us with fragile shoulders need to stick together!</span>