Is surgery necessary for an injury to the acromioclavicular joint?

Question

Hi doctor,

Five months ago, I was in a UTV accident, and I landed on my right shoulder. I never saw a doctor as I am busy and just brushed it off, although the pain has never gone away completely. I am a swimmer, and it has gotten much worse throughout the season to the point it hurts while I am resting. I also recently had shooting pain after doing very little swimming that day and already minimizing my swimming and doing strengthening exercises given to me by the athletic trainer, and I was then told to take a week off. I saw our school’s athletic trainer, and she noticed a larger gap on my right shoulder on the end of it than there was on the left. She also said she thinks it has something to do with my rotator cuff as well as the AC joint. She has recommended going to the doctor. Do you think this is necessary or requires surgery?

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I thoroughly read your query and understand your concern.

Yes, I think it can be a minor injury to the rotator cuff. Mostly, you will require an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). I do not think surgery will be required. I suggest the following tablets:

Tablet Ibuprofen 400 mg twice for 10 days after food.
Tablet Rabeprazole 20 mg once for ten days before food.
Tablet Shelcal (calcium) 500 mg once for 30 days before food.
Tablet Vitamin D 60 K once daily for ten days, then once a month for 11 months.

Take these tablets only if you are not allergic to them. Do not take these tablets if you have a known case of bronchial asthma. Follow up immediately in case of any untoward reactions. Do not do any exercises or swimming till you visit your doctor. This professional advice I provided stands to the actual examination of reports and is based entirely on inputs provided to me. It should be correlated with clinical findings.

Hope this addresses your query.

Regards.