Hey! I am Parnashree from Lakelands and Miami Physio and today I want to talk to you about acromio-clavicular joint pain or ACJ pain.
ACJ pain is experienced on the front of the shoulder. This is the joint formed by one end of your collarbone and shoulder blade. ACJ pain typically occurs after fall on the outstretched hand or if you directly fall on the shoulder. This can lead to ligament sprains/ instability in the joint and it is important to get it assessed sooner to note the degree of instability as this guides further management.
ACJ pain can also occur after repetitive heavy overhead exercises, heavy bench press exercise or it can also be degenerative in nature.
When the joint is sensitive, moving the arm across the body, lifting the arm overhead, sleeping on the affected shoulder can reproduce the pain.
When you do get these symptoms it is important to offload to allow the area to heal and gradually strengthen the muscles around the joint that support it. This generally takes 8 to 12 weeks. If muscles are not trained correctly, it disrupts the mechanics of the joint putting the joint under additional load.
It is important to rehabilitate it completely to prevent the future possibility of persistent pain, osteoarthritis in the joint, and surgery.
If this is you, you can book an appointment with one of our physios to get it assessed and treated on time.
