Windsurfing with a separated shoulder

jessicaberty · Joined: 16 Mar 2001 Posts: 6

I separated my shoulder (type 3 ac shoulder separation) about 4 months ago. I have been able to ski and ride my bike without any real discomfort. I have not tried windsurfing yet. I was wondering if anyone with a similar injury could let me know if windsurfing would be difficult. I live in Hood River, so the wind can be pretty strong and gusty.

sailingjoe · Joined: 06 Aug 2008 Posts: 1087

You'll aggravate a shoulder injury windsurfing. It's a no brainer.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

SailingJoe may be right, Jessica, but be aware that he refused treatment and rehab for his, so his advice with this problem is misleading. I don't know about the 4-month issue, but none of my older, multiple, bilateral AC separations (that's a major reason I left dirt bikes for WSing) has bothered my WSing. Even the more recent AC sep I earned surfing my snow-covered street on a Gorge board didn't bother my WSing. Let the shoulder heal, rehab and strengthen it properly, and it shouldn't be a problem. Ignore it like SJ and it may remain problematic. IIRC, my AC seps were all Grade IIs, but I presume you've been rehabbing and strengthening it by now, and both are vital to recovery from any musculoskeletal injury. They can make the difference between weeks, months, or decades of performance degradation.

Mike \m/

pueno · Joined: 03 Mar 2007 Posts: 2807

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Gotta sail perfectly powered, not over or under.
I"ve windsurfed 21 days after collarbone/separation/disclocates when I had no chance whatsoever of doing a pushup, a pullup, or pulling my downhaul. I raced motocross for 7 years.
No jumps unless hooked in, jibes tentative.
I'd wait till I can do a pushup and a situp before I'd go out nowadaze.

LUCARO · Joined: 07 Dec 1997 Posts: 661

You certainly cant separate it any more.

Will it hurt? Maybe. Is your shoulder at increased risk of injury? Maybe a tiny bit more. But this can be more than offset by very good upper body rehab (supervised preferably).

I like zirts idea of seeing what other upper body conditioning it can tolerate too.

A good physio/PT would be able to guide your transition to the return to sport.

Cheers

Roland

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

I always windsurfed about 3 weeks after significant shoulder injuries, because I can't wait any longer.
Collarbones always set in 11 days for me, I've had four.
Separates get solid a little longer, but I still sail before I can downhaul or do a pushup/chinup.
Same with my two dislocates.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Jessica, I think that's two guys in this thread whose advice you should take with a pound of salt, a bottle of pain-killers, and a dozen rehab sessions. Wink

Even if you didn't exacerbate the shoulder injury, you may still have to swim for it. Good luck with that and an unhealed AC sep.

Much depends on how it feels now, what a sports doc or physical therapist who understands your need for speed says about it, and how it feels swimming several types of stroke. If you've simply "let it heal" without rehab, you probably aren't ready for much after four months of atrophy.

Mike \m/

nw30 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 7:03 pm Post subject:

Will you be wearing a wetsuit?
That's my test for windsurfing with a compromised shoulder, if I can put on my wetsuit without much difficulty or pain, I'm good to go for windsurfing.

I have found that putting on my wetsuit is harder than windsurfing on the shoulders, so it makes the perfect test for me. Taking it off can be problematic as well, for some, but it's always been 'putting it on' for me that counts.