Question
Dr. Gillman,
My son injured his shoulder in a baseball game two weeks.  He went to an orthopedic doctor today and was told he has a separated shoulder, not severe. He gave him anti-inflammatory and bands to work with along with rest for two weeks.  My question is-can a chiroprator help with this condition as well?  I go to a chiro who I really like and she said she could help.  I want to make sure she really can and will not make it worse while he is trying to heal.

Thank you.
Tammy

Answer
Hi Tammy,

Separation implies a separation of the joint between the clavicle and a ridge of bone from the scapula, called the Acromioclavicular joint.  Your chiropractor can assist in keeping the area around the shoulder mobile.   If she is a certified sports chiropractor (www.acbsp.com) or has training in soft tissue methods (e.g. www.grastontechnique.com) then all the better.   She cannot change the separated acromioclavicular joint, however.   It's going to heal on its own.  Although, some people find it helpful to tape the clavicle down using what's called "Strapping" tape.  For most folks, it's not necessary, though.   But for a throwing athlete, it can be helpful in reducing how much that AC joint of the shoulder moves around and thus can reduce pain as the athlete goes back into training.

'Hope this helps.

Dr. G
www.drgillman.com