AC Joint Injuries and Treatments
What and Where is the AC Joint?
The acromio-clavicular or AC joint is the joint between your collarbone and the top of your shoulder. When you put your hand on top of your shoulder you may feel a "bony bump". This is where your AC Joint is. The AC joint helps you move your arm overhead or across your body. Your AC joint also assists with everyday movements such as pulling or lifting.
Common AC joint injuries
AC joint sprain
This occurs when the ligaments surrounding the joint become stretched or overextended. The range and severity of the injury can vary, from a mild strain to a complete ligament tear resulting in severe pain.
Sudden impact during sport
This can occur when a player collides with another or if a sportsperson falls on their shoulder during a tackle, for example.
Falling with an outstretched arm
This can cause damage to the ligaments around the AC joint.
AC Joint Injury Symptoms
Swelling in the shoulder area
Inability to move your shoulder and a loss of the power in the arm
Bruising may occur around the injured area
Pain on the shoulder especially when you try to move your arm overhead or across your body
A hard lump may appear on the top of the shoulder which may indicate that the collar bone has become displaced.
How Can Physiotherapy Help?
With an AC Joint injury, physiotherapy is an indispensable and an essential part of the recovery programme. If you have had surgery, physiotherapy will also form part of your post-surgery recovery.
At Ballsbridge Physiotherapy Clinic we will work with you to:
Reduce swelling
Ease pain
Regain strength in your shoulder area
Help shoulder and blade alignment
Get range of motion back to normal levels
Whatever the level of your AC joint injury, the experts at Ballsbridge Physiotherapy Clinic, will help you return to sport or everyday exercise in a safe and sustainable manner. Contact us or book an appointment online and we'll help you recover from what can be a painful injury.
Sports Clinic
Our sports clinic is lead by Elizabeth Bovich and David Richards. Together they have an extensive sports background with high level athletes in Ireland and the USA.