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What is a shoulder separation?

What causes a shoulder separation?

What are the symptoms of a shoulder separation?

How can doctors tell if I have a shoulder separation?

How do doctors treat a shoulder separation?

Sprains and Other Soft-Tissue Injuries

Overview of Sprains

Achilles Tendon Tears

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

Which form of treatment may be necessary for orbital cellulitis but not for preseptal cellulitis?

Antibiotics
Hospitalization
Management by an ophthalmologist
Surgery

Shoulder Separation

(AC Separation)

By

The Manual's Editorial Staff

Last full review/revision Nov 2020| Content last modified Nov 2020

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Topic Resources

Anatomy of a Shoulder Joint

A shoulder separation is a tear in the ligament that holds your collar bone to your shoulder blade.

Ligaments are short, tough bands of tissue that hold your bones together at a joint.

Your ligament may be partially or completely torn
Shoulder separations are common, especially among people who play sports
Your shoulder will be painful and tender
You may need a sling or, if the injury is severe, surgery

Anatomy of a Shoulder Joint

A shoulder separation is usually caused by falling on your shoulder or outstretched arm. It's a common injury for people who do high-speed or contact sports, such as:

Rugby
Football
Skiing
Jet-skiing

Your shoulder joint is:

Painful
Tender

Your doctor will do:

X-rays

Treatment depends on how bad your shoulder separation is.

For a mild shoulder separation, doctors will:

Have you wear a sling to rest your shoulder
Have you do exercises to keep your joint working

For a severe shoulder separation, doctors will:

Do surgery on your shoulder

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