Will I ever be able to bench again? It's been more than 9 months since I had 3-rd degree shoulder separation and it still feels weak when I'm benching. I'm afraid to put on more than 60 - 70 pounds. Everything else is back to normal, I do standup and grappling, I don't feel it.
Just when benching.
Doc said that with 3-rd degree my clavicle is permanently separated, and that there's one ligament that will never heal and I may need to get it fixed.
But that's another 6 months rehab.
So what do I do?

Tomas

Is it the acromioclavicular joint that's beyond natural healing?

Is it the acromioclavicular joint that's beyond natural healing?

xxxx could be. He said they'd have to drill through my clavicle (top-bottom) and suture it to the shoulderblade or something....(I have to look it up).

Tomas

xxxx could be. He said they'd have to drill through my clavicle (top-bottom) and suture it to the shoulderblade or something....(I have to look it up).

Tomas

I think it's one of the corcoclavicular ligaments...

Tomas

I think it's one of the corcoclavicular ligaments...

Tomas

You need to rehab that shoulder nice and easy. The shoulder joint is so funky in construction, that you really need to be careful with it, and take the time it needs to rehab.

Did your separation look like this:

You need to rehab that shoulder nice and easy. The shoulder joint is so funky in construction, that you really need to be careful with it, and take the time it needs to rehab.

Did your separation look like this:

Yes.
I did about 4 months of rehab, my range of motion is fully back.
The clavicle is still a little higher that it should and they say it's most likely gonna stay like that. I can do pullups and narrow pushups.
I feel it when I'm benchpressing or doing wide pushups.

Tomas

Did the doctor offer surgery? Has it been operated on already? What's your insurance look like? If you don't have health insurance, did the injury happen on the job?

Did the doctor offer surgery? Has it been operated on already? What's your insurance look like? If you don't have health insurance, did the injury happen on the job?

He said if it bothers me, I can get it fixed.
It was a judo injury.
Hasn't been operated on.
And yes I have good insurance (BCBS), they'd cover most of it.

Tomas

Does he know you're active? Does he specialize on shoulders? Is he a surgeon?

So when it originally happened you didn't get surgery? Did you have an MRI?

Does he know you're active? Does he specialize on shoulders? Is he a surgeon?

So when it originally happened you didn't get surgery? Did you have an MRI?

Yes he knows I play Judo. He is not a surgeon.
He said I should rehab it first and see how it heals.
No MRI, just Xray.

Anyway, I'm going to get a second opinion from somebody that specializes in shoulders.

Tomas

Good idea. And an MRI would be good, you can't see the ligaments on a plain film.

Good idea. And an MRI would be good, you can't see the ligaments on a plain film.

He says they can get a pretty good idea about the ligaments from measuring the bone distances on the xray.

But back to my qquestion: is it normal to not be able to bench more that 9 months after the injury?

Tomas

I think it's not normal. I think you should have progressed a lot further by now. If your bones aren't being held together properly, it's no wonder you can't lift weight.

Use a narrow grip and don't let your elbows go below your torso when benching, meaning don't touch your chest. That's if you absolutely must bench at all. Other than that, I'd strongly suggest NOT doing anything that could destroy your shoulder again.