Rugby shoulder injury

About 4 weeks ago I was playing rugby and ran into contact. I was on the ground in a position with my shoulders hunched over after being tackled and a prop fell on my. This pushed my shoulders together and I felt something pop in my sternum area.

At the time it was only my sternum that hurt, but after the match my shoulder became increasingly painful. That night, and for a bout 5 nights afterwards I could not sleep on my bad shoulder as it was too uncomfortable.

I did no exercise for a while to let it recover but started playing rugby again after about 2 weeks. it improved initially but now is getting much worse, it hurts whenever i brace myself for a tackle or anything, and the pain seems to be spreading up the side of my neck.

I also often experience pain around my collarbone, especially towards either end.

I have seen my doctor and physio and they gave me very little help, saying nothing was wrong.

I struggle to take my shirt off over my head and find press ups almost impossible.

Any ideas what could be wrong?

Thanks

do you have any tenderness over your spine? could possibly be a cervical or thoracic spine injury.

Do you have any deformation or pain to touch or pressure over your AC joint (the tip of your shoulder)? Could be an AC separation - but the ortho should have seen this. It could also be impingement of the shoulder secondary to traumatic injury.

does it radiate down your arm? any numbness?

What positions or activities hurt the most?

No tenderness over the spine at all, although my neck does click whenever i rotate it in either direction. More so when it gets towards the end of my range of movement.

The shoulder isn't painful to the touch at all, and doesn't radiate down the arm. The pain does seem to occur on the edge of my pectoral sometimes though, and across my collarbone.

It still hurts to sleep on it, press ups are very painful, taking my shirt off over my head is probably the worst though, it takes me minutes to take a shirt off sometimes.

What exactly did your ortho and/or PT tell you? did you have an X-ray/MRI or any other imaging studies?

does your pectoralis hurt towards the inner edge or outer towards your arm?

What about tenderness over your sternum or sternoclavicular joint (google it to see where it is)?

Is there any pain when you look all the way up/down/to the left or right or lean your head to the left or right?

My doctor just said there was no damage to the bones around the shoulder joint or something along those lines. When I asked him how long until I could play rugby again he said whenever I feel comfortable doing so. The physio at the rugby club said it COULD be a rotator cuff injury, but that's what she's told everyone who has gone in there with a shoulder injury so I was a bit unsure about that. I've had no MRI scans or anything like that.

The pec hurts towards my arm, but it's a strange pain, sort of underneath the muscle it feels like.

Yes there is tenderness around the sternoclavicular joint, and it often hurts there when i move.

There is very slight pain when I lean my head to the right but nothing bad.

Thanks for all the help by the way

Well...sorry I can't be of more help but the only things I can think of without seeing you in person are:

SC joint dislocation or irritation along with shoulder impingement secondary to trauma and inflammation to the rotator cuff.

(The neck is most likely not the cause because the shoulder and scapula have movements related to cervical and thoracic movements)

I would most likely advise you to see a Sports/Orthopaedic specialized Physical Therapist or Ortho. I wish I could give you more detailed information but I hate telling you things without personally seeing you.


Best of Luck to you though,
Let me know how you do and what is going on with your shoulder if you see someone,

Hunter

Yeah that's fair enough, thanks for trying anyway. I'll keep you posted then

I think you need a second opinion from a good sports physio orthe like.
Sounds like SC jt (with or with out other structures being involved..not able to tll without taking a look).

Your physio should have looked at your SC jt, tested its movt with you laying on your back and performing certain movt.

There may be no bony injury but that s not to say that everything is sitting where it should be and no oft tissue structures are injured. I have seen many xray reports that say 'No Bony Injury' thaton close examination may show displacement of joints.

If it is still painful see someone. It will need rest to some degree probably.

Good luck.

hi
i agree with the above post.as overhead activities are more restricted.acromioclavicular joint sprain also should be suspected.
is bringing the arm across the body is painful-where exactly is the pain
the type of pain you experience
you feel it localised ya diffused
is you bone is paining ya joint
is the pain superficial ya deep
is pain increases during night ???????????????????