Update: Can Shoulder Protection Prevent Shoulder Injuries?
Jason Weigandt

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Update: Can Shoulder Protection Prevent Shoulder Injuries?

Last week I waded into the dark waters of shoulder protection in motocross... and nearly drowned. So far I've gotten vague answers, but very little real info as to: A) why riders don't wear it , and B) if it would even help.

It's amazing that I can't find a clear answer, because there is no shortage of opinions on the topic. Last week at Glendale, Jimmy Button gave me a dissertation on how he separated shoulders and collarbones wearing the vaunted HRP Flak-Jacket, but how he also separated shoulders and broke collarbones without it. Then I talked to a gear guy who has worked with two different companies known for their innovation and protection, yet he was unsure if any product would help, and, further, had stories of riders trying stuff but feeling like it was too bulky and restrictive to movement.

So Jimmy and the will-remain-nameless gear guy basically said it made no difference, but at that very minute I was talking to them, I got an email from a fan with the subject line: Shoulder Protection DOES EXIST!!

He attached this photo.

Maybe?
Maybe?

This dude swears by this product, which is also a product that's basically not even made anymore. Oh, and then Matthes looked at this and said, "There's no chance that would do anything."

Meanwhile, the guys in the pits told me that most shoulder problems come not from impacts to the shoulder but from the arm getting twisted the wrong way, so shoulder protection wouldn't help. Aldon Baker summed up things like this: "We have knee braces and guys still tear ligaments."

The search continues. I've given Racer X reporters Aaron Hansel and Kyle Scott strict instructions to ask anyone they bump into this weekend in Oakland about this topic.

Stay tuned. We're sure to continue to solve nothing.