One of the most confusing joints in the whole human body is the AC joint - it simply makes no sense. That being said, the good news is that there is often a very successful conservative treatment for most AC joint problems, whether it be mild pain that responds to NSAIDs, advanced arthritis that responds to an ultrasound guided cortisone injection, or an AC separation that can be treated with rest, ice, and home exercises you learn at therapy. If you want to read more about the AC joint, you can check out this Medium article that I wrote for you.

If you do end up being in the relatively small group of people that need surgery, this can be done arthroscopically or open depending on the circumstance. 

Click here to get an idea of how to prepare for your AC joint surgery and see the instructions you will be given on the day of surgery.