AC Joint Injury Treatment in Kilsyth | Physiotherapy & Myotherapy
What Is an AC Joint Injury?
An AC joint injury affects the acromioclavicular (AC) joint, which connects the collarbone (clavicle) to part of the shoulder blade (acromion).
The AC joint helps provide stability and movement between the shoulder blade and collarbone, particularly during movements involving the arm and shoulder. AC joint injuries are common in contact sports, falls and activities where the shoulder receives a
direct impact. They can range from a mild AC joint sprain involving the supporting ligaments to more significant ligament disruption and movement of the joint.
At Physio Elements in Kilsyth, our Physiotherapists can assess AC joint injuries and develop a personalised rehabilitation program to help restore shoulder movement, strength and function.
What Is a Separated Shoulder?
A “separated shoulder” is another term commonly used to describe an AC joint injury. Despite the name, an AC joint injury does not mean that the main shoulder joint has dislocated. Instead, the injury affects the AC joint and the ligaments that help support it.
The severity of an AC joint injury can vary significantly, which is why an appropriate assessment is important following a shoulder injury.
What Are the Symptoms of an AC Joint Injury?
Symptoms depend on the severity of the injury but commonly include:
- Pain at the top of the shoulder
- Tenderness directly over the AC joint
- Pain when lifting the arm
- Pain when reaching across the body
- Pain when lying on the affected side
- Shoulder swelling
- Bruising around the shoulder
- Reduced shoulder movement
- Pain during pushing or pulling
- Pain with bench pressing or other gym exercises
- Shoulder weakness
- A visible bump or change in the shape of the shoulder following a more significant injury
Pain is often particularly noticeable when the arm is moved across the body or when pressure is placed directly on the top of the shoulder.
What Causes AC Joint Injuries?
AC joint injuries most commonly occur when a force is applied directly to the shoulder, but they can also develop from repetitive loading.
Falls and Trauma – Falling directly onto the shoulder or experiencing a direct impact can injure the AC joint. This is common during cycling, skating, running and other recreational activities.
Contact and Collision Sports – Tackles, collisions and falls during sports such as Australian Rules Football, rugby, hockey and
other contact sports can cause AC joint injuries.
Gym and Weight Training – Heavy or repetitive exercises such as bench pressing, dips, push-ups and overhead pressing can
place significant load through the AC joint. Rapid increases in training load may also contribute to symptoms.
Previous Shoulder Injury – Previous shoulder injuries may affect shoulder movement and loading patterns, potentially increasing stress on the AC joint.
What Are the Different Grades of AC Joint Injury?
AC joint injuries are commonly classified into different grades according to the severity of ligament damage and displacement of the joint. Grades 1–3 are commonly described as follows:
- Grade 1 AC Joint Injury – A Grade 1 injury generally involves a mild sprain of the AC joint ligaments without significant displacement of the joint. Pain and tenderness may be present, but the joint generally remains stable.
- Grade 2 AC Joint Injury – A Grade 2 injury involves greater damage to the AC joint ligaments and may cause some separation or movement of the joint. There may be more noticeable pain, swelling and difficulty using the shoulder.
- Grade 3 AC Joint Injury – A Grade 3 injury involves more significant disruption of the ligaments supporting the AC joint and can result in a visible change in the position of the collarbone. More significant AC joint injuries may require medical or orthopaedic assessment to determine the most appropriate treatment approach.
How Is an AC Joint Injury Diagnosed?
Your Physiotherapist will assess your symptoms, mechanism of injury and shoulder function.
Your assessment may include:
- Shoulder range of movement
- Strength testing
- Palpation of the AC joint
- Shoulder stability
- Shoulder blade movement
- Pain during specific movements
- Cross-body movements
- Functional activities
- Work and sporting requirements
Following a significant traumatic injury, an X-ray may be recommended to assess the AC joint and determine the extent of the injury.
Other imaging may be considered depending on your symptoms and whether additional shoulder injuries are suspected.
How Does Physiotherapy Help AC Joint Injuries?
Physiotherapy can play an important role in the rehabilitation of AC joint injuries. Treatment will depend on the severity of the injury, the stage of recovery and your individual goals. Early rehabilitation may focus on managing pain, protecting the joint and maintaining appropriate shoulder movement.
As symptoms improve, rehabilitation can progress towards restoring strength, shoulder control and the ability to tolerate work, gym and sporting activities.
What Does Physiotherapy Treatment Involve?
Depending on your injury, treatment may include:
- Education about your injury
- Activity modification
- Advice regarding work and sport
- Pain management strategies
- Gentle shoulder mobility exercises
- Manual therapy where appropriate
- Soft tissue treatment
- Strengthening exercises
- Shoulder stability training
- Movement retraining
- Progressive loading
- Return-to-work rehabilitation
- Return-to-sport rehabilitation
Your Physiotherapist will progressively increase the demands placed on the shoulder as your symptoms and function improve.
What Exercises Help an AC Joint Injury?
Exercise rehabilitation is an important part of recovery from an AC joint injury. Depending on the stage of your rehabilitation, exercises may target:
- Shoulder range of movement
- Rotator cuff strength
- Shoulder blade control
- Shoulder stability
- Upper-body strength
- Functional movements
- Progressive resistance training
- Sport-specific strength
- Return-to-sport conditioning
Exercises are progressed gradually to improve the shoulder’s ability to tolerate the demands of everyday activities, work, gym training and sport.
Can I Go to the Gym With an AC Joint Injury?
You may be able to continue exercising with appropriate modifications, depending on the severity of your injury. Exercises that place direct or excessive stress on the AC joint, such as heavy bench pressing, dips or certain overhead movements, may need to be temporarily modified.
Your Physiotherapist can help determine which exercises are appropriate and develop a gradual plan to return to your usual training.
How Long Does an AC Joint Injury Take to Heal?
Recovery time depends on the severity of the AC joint injury. Milder injuries may improve over several weeks, while more significant injuries can require several months of rehabilitation.
Your recovery can also be influenced by:
- The grade of the injury
- Whether other shoulder structures are injured
- Your work requirements
- Sporting demands
- Training load
- Previous shoulder injuries
- How the shoulder responds to rehabilitation
Your Physiotherapist can provide a more personalised recovery timeframe following assessment.
Can an AC Joint Injury Heal Without Surgery?
Many AC joint injuries can be managed without surgery, particularly less severe injuries. Treatment may involve activity modification, Physiotherapy, progressive exercise and gradual return to normal activities.
More significant AC joint injuries may require assessment by a doctor or orthopaedic specialist to determine whether surgical or non-surgical management is most appropriate.
How Does Myotherapy Help AC Joint Injuries?
Myotherapy can complement Physiotherapy during AC joint rehabilitation by addressing muscular tension and soft tissue discomfort around the shoulder.
When an AC joint injury occurs, surrounding muscles may become tight or overloaded as the body changes how the shoulder moves.
Our Myotherapists may assess muscles around the:
- Shoulder
- Neck
- Chest
- Upper back
- Shoulder blade
Myotherapy does not directly repair damaged AC joint ligaments. Instead, it may help manage associated muscular tension and discomfort as part of a broader rehabilitation program.
Frequently Asked Questions About AC Joint Injuries
Looking for AC Joint Injury Treatment in Kilsyth?
Whether you’ve injured your AC joint playing sport, at the gym, at work or following a fall, appropriate assessment and rehabilitation can help you return to your normal activities.
At Physio Elements in Kilsyth, our experienced Physiotherapists can assess AC joint injuries and develop a personalised rehabilitation program based on your symptoms, work, exercise and sporting goals.
Our Myotherapists can also assist with associated muscular tension and soft tissue discomfort as part of your overall recovery.
Book an appointment with Physio Elements today to have your AC joint injury assessed and start working towards a stronger, more functional shoulder.
Article reviewed by:
Jordan Tierney, Qualified Myotherapist, Advanced Diploma of Myotherapy, Physio Elements, Kilsyth. Nisha, Physiotherapist at Physio Elements, Kilsyth. Master of Physiotherapy (Orthopaedics, Sports & Manual Therapy), University of South Australia.