Shoulder
AC Joint Sprain
Also called: Separated shoulder
Injury to the joint where collarbone meets shoulder blade — the point of the shoulder — from falling directly onto it (cycling, football, snowboarding). Graded 1–6 by ligament damage and displacement; the common lower grades heal reliably without surgery.
Common signs
- Pain at the very top point of the shoulder after a direct fall
- A visible bump or step-off at the joint (higher grades)
- Pain reaching across the body or overhead
- Tender precisely on the AC joint
Seek help now if
- Severe displacement, skin tenting, or posterior displacement (high grades — surgical consult)
- Numbness or vascular changes
- Fracture-pattern pain along the collarbone
Any of these: call 911 or get to an emergency room first. Everything else can wait.
What to do first
- Exam and X-rays grade it — grades 1–3 are generally managed conservatively
- Brief sling comfort (days, not weeks), ice, early pendulum and range work
- Expect the bump in grade 2–3 to be permanent and harmless — function returns fully
If it's become chronic
- Progress: range → scapular and cuff strengthening → pressing/overhead progression by criteria
- Chronic AC joint ache after old injuries responds to load management, joint care, and modified pressing angles
- High-grade or persistently symptomatic joints: surgical opinions exist; most never need them
Natural healing options we use
- Chiropractic and manual care for shoulder-girdle mechanics
- Progressive strengthening with pressing-angle modifications
- Attended e-stim and PEMF
- Collagen and protein support for ligament healing
About imaging
X-rays (sometimes comparison views) grade displacement.
Daily self-care
- Early gentle motion, brief sling only
- Modify bench/dips (the classic aggravators) during recovery
- Accept the cosmetic bump; train the function
More in Shoulder
Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy & ImpingementRotator Cuff TearFrozen ShoulderShoulder Instability & DislocationShoulder Labral TearBiceps TendinopathyShoulder OsteoarthritisScapular Dyskinesis
Please read: this page is education, not a diagnosis. A proper examination is how a condition gets confirmed and a plan gets built. See our medical disclaimer.