Separated my shoulder on Thurs.....should I get new pads/developing a fear of re-injury

[gymmonster 4]

Well, I separated my shoulder during a league game on Thursday, was backchecking going full speed and i got tripped near my own goal and crashed into another player who was much larger than me. Consequently I took him out, he landed ontop of me and i was driven shoulder first into the yellow part of the rink right under the boards.

At the time I was wearing TPS Contour shoulder pads....pretty cheap ones, and I've been considering upgrading to better (insert more expensive) shoulder pads.

I don't know if better pads would have prevented the injury but I was wondering if I could have prevent more damage if I had, say the RBK 7ks over what I am currently wearing....or am I wasting money by getting new pads?

[jeffw 1]

This is just my opinion, I'm not an MD (tho' I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express).

I don't think shoulder pads would prevent a shoulder seperation. They're designed to absorb blunt force from checks, sticks, pucks, etc. A shoulder seperation like a sprain or break means that the joint was moved beyond it's limits of motion and if shoulder pads restricted your movement then no-one would buy them.

[swede 48]

im with jeff on this one..

The caps of the contour pads, are in my opininon one of the best on the market.. Cause they cover the whole shoulder. Not just the front, or the sides like most other brands caps do..

[duch 0]

I agree with the other two gentlmen. There is no guarantee any other brand of shoulder pad would have prevented your injury. All shoulder pads are essentially the same and made to direct the impact away from the shoulder joint. Unfortunately in your case the impact was just too severe for the shoulder pad to dissipate the impact. Even the pros in their top of the line protection get injured so don't get too concerned over what happened. Just give it time to heal correctly.

[flymonty3 0]

i have seperated my shoulder n every type of shoulder pad you can imagine, From bauer classics all the way to RBK 8K's.....

The only way to prevent it is if you know your shoulder is weaker than the other, try to absorb more impact where you can take it. But then again if you are going to be playing scared, it is hardly worth playing...

[Monty22 832]

Work with your doctors and therapists to strengthen the shoulder as much as you can. Proabbly the most proactive thing you can do.

[tips09 0]

I also seperated my shoulder wearing those TPS shoulder pads but I still believe it would have happened with any shoulder pad

[jmiro 55]

i just seperated my shoulder and event the doctor said it wouldnt have mattered what kind of pads i was wearing.

[warrior37 0]

i had a class/grade 3 AC seperation wearing a pair of jofas, i dont think any shoulder pad can really protect you from something like that, now i rock the sherwood 5030s, just make sure to let your shoulder heal

[sds 0]

I'm going in to have my shoulder looked at tomorrow morning... this timely thread is making me a bit nervous.

[indaslot 0]

You can separate your shoulder by falling on an outstreatched hand so as the others stated,the brand of shoulder pad would not have prevented this injury.Hopefully it is a low grade separation.Just give it time to heal and be religious in your rehab exercises to prevent frozen shoulder.

[NYR14 0]

I agree, shoulder separations are not prevented by what kind of shoulder pads you wear. Although back in the day they thought this was the case, and sent the player once cleared to play in those old Donzis football shoulder pads. Those things looked like frankenstein was coming at you.

[gymmonster 4]

haha yeh the football pads

hm i guess what I was refering more to was, for example Jofa's shoulder technology they claim to have that directs the force of impactaway from the shoulder.

Anywho, have been doing physio the past week, i have good range ofomtion back but I still cannot pick up objects that weigh more than 10 lbs or so...the ER doctor said I had a type 2 separation