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Dislocated Shoulder

The shoulder is the body’s most mobile joint, which makes it susceptible to dislocation. A dislocated shoulder is an injury in which your upper arm bone pops out of your shoulder socket. There are 2 types of a dislocated shoulder- partial dislocation and complete dislocation. A partial dislocation is where the head of the upper arm bone is partially out of the socket, while a complete dislocation means it is fully out of the socket. Both partial and complete dislocations cause pain and unsteadiness in the shoulder.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Symptoms of a dislocated shoulder include:

  • Deformation of the shoulder / shoulder seems out of place
  • Swelling or bruising on the upper arm
  • Trouble moving your arm accompanied by severe pain
  • Numbness / weakness in your arm, neck, hand or fingers

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES AND RISK FACTORS?

You might get dislocate your shoulder when you:

  • Fall onto your shoulder on a hard surface
  • Experience trauma, such as a heavy blow to your shoulder during a motor vehicle collision
  • Suffer from sports injuries during contact sport, such as rugby, or in a sports-related accident.

WHAT IS THE DIAGNOSIS?

Your doctor will ask you how the dislocation happened and whether the shoulder had ever been dislocated before. He will then examine your shoulder and may order an x-ray to rule out any broken bones or other conditions, and to confirm the dislocation.

WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS?

Your doctor will pop your shoulder joint back in place through a procedure called closed reduction. During this procedure, Your doctor will place the ball of the upper arm bone back into the joint socket.

Your doctor may get you to wear a sling or other device to keep your shoulder in place for a period ranging from a few days to several weeks following treatment. Once the pain and swelling has improved, you will proceed to doing rehabilitation exercises. These help to improve the shoulder’s range of motion and strengthen the muscles. Rehabilitation may also help prevent dislocation of the shoulder again in the future.

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