Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

Elaine Krugman — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 09:50:37 GMT

Was the rib you had removed the small one, directly underneath the collar bone? Yes, it was the first rib, removed for thoracic outlet syndrome.

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

Elaine Krugman — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 08:48:18 GMT

I can see how that might destabilize the joint at the sternum. www.rci.rutgers.edu/.../image011.jpg Maybe the lower chest and some of the neck muscles that attach adjacent to the joint can provide added support if worked. The upper chest muscles however, attach directly to the bone and can pull it out again. I am totally lay medically, but have someone else apply lotion to your back for awhile. Once something moves out of place it takes time for it to heal so it doesn't happen again. good luck Thanks, Steve. I have recruited my husband for that task, as well as buckling up my figure-eight brace I am wearing, since it buckles in back. I think what happened is that the ligaments that surround the sternoclavicular joint became too stretched and lengthened, due to so many extended arm (and shoulder) open turns. I also think in my quest to stay flexible and keep my shoulders healthy, I did too much stretching and became too flexible, causing instability and the subluxation I experienced. :badday: Live and learn- again. :doh:

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

smontanaro — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 08:23:29 GMT

I subluxed my sternoclavicular joint in college. While backhanding a ground ball I complicated things by stepping on my glove. No problems other than being in a sling for a week or two.

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

__steve__ — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 06:53:46 GMT

Was the rib you had removed the small one, directly underneath the collar bone?

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

__steve__ — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 06:06:32 GMT

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

Elaine Krugman — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 06:46:46 GMT

People who sublux their shoulders spontaneously have a lot of pain in their future - and should be very careful not to do anything that might accidentally cause it to recur - my mother-in-law had this issue for years, and one time on the freeway with several kids in the backseat of her stationwagon, her shoulder subluxed on her - she nearly wrecked the car it hurt so bad - and she was just driving the stupid car!! Take care - there is probably some PT you can do that will strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint (rotator cuffs etc) to help prevent subluxation in the future. This happened to me quite regularly after I dislocated my shoulder - for about 3 years. Doesn't happen any more. :afraid:I have never had it happen to the rotator cuff or any other part of my shoulder on the arm side; just the sternoclavicular joint that joins the clavicle to the sternum. But, I am quite concerned about it happening again to any part of the entire shoulder area; especially since it was the side of my first rib resection surgery. I currently do shoulder stabilization exercises before my swim each day. The ones I do are: www.usmsswimmer.com/.../swimmer_stretching.pdf I'm beginning to think it wouldn't be a bad idea to find a PT for an evaluation... Thanks, Celestial!

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

Celestial — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 05:08:58 GMT

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

Elaine Krugman — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:38:39 GMT

I'd recommend no more 2000 flys. :) Actually, fly is the one stroke that felt good the other day, as long as I kept my arms shoulder width on entry and didn't reach too far forward. The beginning of the recovery phase felt good, because it stretched my shoulders out. ;) The good news is that I feel better today than I did yesterday. Another day biking to nowhere on the recumbent bike (and staying out of the pool) did some good. I learned a lesson from when I had thoracic outlet syndrome and ended up having major surgery: When you feel the wrong kind of pain (and you will know when that happens), STOP! Do not push through that pain and further injure yourself! Because I stopped when I did, I think I ended up with just a first degree injury and mild sprain, rather than something more serious.

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

Elaine Krugman — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:30:51 GMT

I'm not sure I quite picture how you are doing the open turns, but whatever it is is placing stress on the joint. Are you grabbing the side, pulling up and then turning? If so I'm wondering if you'd put less stress on the shoulder by doing a FINA/flat wall turn, where you touch, move the hands away and turn yourself using your core rather than your shoulders? There are no gutters at the pool where I train 4 of the 6 days I swim each week, so I am used to not grabbing and doing a flat wall turn. But, when I push off, I was extending my arm and shoulder all the way out as I snapped my hips and pushed off the wall. Here is a video of a (lousy) 50 freestyle race with a turn, although it is hard to see exactly what my left arm is doing underwater: http://youtu.be/kbo_RxQZR04

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

jaadams1 — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 01:12:29 GMT

I'd recommend no more 2000 flys. :)

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

Former Member — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:05:52 GMT

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 07:28:18 GMT

Was it your shoulder that popped out? If so, take it very easy and baby it until it heals because the chances it will happen again are greater now, but fortunately decrease as it heals. I had shoulder dislocation issues for almost 10 years, weight lifting and extra care has allowed me to avoid further trouble. It popped out at that joint, where the collar bone meets the sternum. I'm not sure it really popped out, but I felt it go out of place, then back again, when I pushed on it. In one sense, I was surprised it happened, because I have taken great care to do shoulder stabilization exercises on a daily basis. But, after having my first rib removed, that area is more vulnerable. I should have realized the potential for problems before this all happened...

RE: Has anybody experienced a sternoclavicular joint sprain?

__steve__ — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 06:01:55 GMT