Shoulder Dislocations

Shoulder Dislocation Risk Factors

You may be more at risk for a dislocated shoulder if you:

• Are a teenage boy or a young man in your 20s who is physically active in sports or work.
• Do repetitive overhead movements, causing shoulder socket ligaments to stretch and weaken over time.
• Have had a previous shoulder dislocation, causing the joint to be unstable. This is especially the case for patients under 20-years-old.
• Describe yourself as “double jointed” due to more malleable connective tissues in your body. You may experience shoulder dislocation without undergoing a major accident or injury in this case.

How Painful is a Dislocated Shoulder?

A dislocated shoulder is more painful than something like a pulled muscle. Plenty of sensations add on to the pain of a joint that is popped out of place. Shoulder muscle spasms, swelling, bruising, and fibrous tissue tears can significantly escalate the pain of a dislocated shoulder.

Dislocated Shoulder Treatment

There are ways to stay comfortable and manage your shoulder dislocation pain at home until you can make it to a doctor.

• Rest and avoid shoulder/arm movement: no heavy lifting, overhead activity, or repeating the same motion that caused the dislocation in the first place.
• Apply ice, then heat: use ice packs on your shoulder for the first few days to reduce swelling, which will manage your pain. Once the swelling has gone down, usually in 3-4 days, use hot packs or a heating pad on your shoulder to relax tight and sore muscles.
• Take pain medicine: over-the-counter medications like Advil, Aleve, or Tylenol may manage your pain. Follow label or doctor instructions, and stop taking the medication when your pain improves. 

While these remedies can make you more comfortable in the short term, they are not permanent fixes. It’s important to seek immediate medical attention from one of our Dallas Orthopedic Specialists to regain full function of your arm and shoulder.

How to Treat a Dislocated Shoulder

There are many ways to treat a dislocated shoulder, depending on the severity of your dislocation. 

• Closed reduction: Your doctor may try gentle maneuvers to pop the joint back into place. Your doctor may also give you a muscle relaxant or a sedative before moving the joint, depending on your pain level.
• Surgery: You may need surgery if you have a weak shoulder joint or ligaments which often cause recurrent shoulder dislocations. For more extreme cases, you may need surgery if your nerves or blood vessels are damaged from the dislocation.
• Immobilization: Your doctor may give you a splint or a sling to keep you from using your arm for a few days to a few weeks. The amount of time you wear the splint or sling depends on the severity of your shoulder dislocation.
• Medication: Your doctor may prescribe you pain medicine or a muscle relaxant for your comfort during the healing process.
• Rehabilitation: Once your splint or sling is removed, it’s important to restore range of motion, strength, and stability to your shoulder joint with a Dallas physical therapist.

Complications of a Dislocated Shoulder

Depending on the severity of the accident that caused your dislocation, you may also experience some complications including:

• Muscle, ligament, and tendon tears around your shoulder joint
• Nerve or blood vessel damage in or around your shoulder joint
• Shoulder instability caused by a severe dislocation or repeated dislocations, raising your risks of re-injury.

Exercises for a Dislocated Shoulder

Once your shoulder joint is popped back into place and you’ve worn a splint or sling for an appropriate amount of time, your doctor may give you these rehabilitation exercises:

Shoulder Flexion:

Lie down on your back and hold a PVC pipe or a broom handle with your palms facing down. Make sure the pipe or broom handle is about a foot wider than your shoulders. 

• Keeping your elbows straight, slowly raise your arms over your head until you feel a stretch in your shoulders.
• Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
• Repeat 2 to 4 times.

Shoulder Blade Squeeze:

Stand up straight with your arms at your sides, and squeeze your shoulder blades together. 

• Make sure you don’t raise your shoulders while you’re doing this. 
• Squeeze your shoulder blades for 10 seconds, then release. 
• Repeat 8 to 12 times.
•  

Internal Rotator Strengthening:

You will need an elastic band for this exercise. 

• Tie the exercise band to a doorknob.
• Sit or stand up straight with your shoulder relaxed, and your elbow bent at 90 degrees.
• Hold one end of the band with the hand corresponding to your shoulder dislocation.
• Rotate your forearm towards your belly. Make sure to keep your elbow and upper arm tucked against the side of your body.
• Repeat 8 to 12 times.
• •  

Isometric Shoulder External Rotation:

This exercise is similar to the last one, except you’re moving your forearm in the opposite direction and you don’t need a band to do so.

• Stand up straight next to a wall. The arm corresponding to your shoulder dislocation should be closest to the wall.
• Bend your arm at a 90-degree angle, and hold your hand out like you’re about to shake someone else’s hand.
• Press the back of your hand into the wall with moderate pressure for 10 seconds.
• Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Isometric Shoulder Abduction:

This exercise is the same as the last, except you will be pressing your elbow into the wall instead of your hand.

• Stand up straight next to a wall. The arm corresponding to your shoulder dislocation should be closest to the wall.
• Bend your arm at a 90-degree angle, and hold your hand out like you’re about to shake someone else’s hand.
• Press your elbow into the wall with moderate pressure for 10 seconds.
• Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Wall Push-ups:

The easier and less exhausting version of a classic push-up.

• Face a wall, standing about 1-2 feet away from the wall. 
• Put your hands on the wall, and make sure they are spaced slightly wider than your shoulders. 
• Lean forward and then push back up, just like a regular push-up. 
• If this exercise causes any shoulder pain, stand closer to the wall.
• Repeat 8-12 times.

Partially Dislocated Shoulder

Your injury may have caused a partially dislocated shoulder, or a shoulder subluxation, instead of a completely dislocated shoulder. Shoulder subluxations happen when the upper arm bone partially pops out of the shoulder socket and can be more difficult to identify than a complete dislocation. 

How Do I Know if I Partially Dislocated my Shoulder?

The signs and symptoms are the same as a complete shoulder dislocation: 

• Intense pain
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Numbness or tingling in the neck or down the arm
• Inability to move the joint 

However, you may not be able to see a deformity around the joint like you would with a complete dislocation. 

Causes of a Partially Dislocated Shoulder

Similar to the causes of a complete shoulder dislocation, you may have partially popped the joint out of place by:

• Trauma: Any kind of accident or injury can cause a subluxation. Common accidents include falls or motor vehicle accidents.
• Sports injuries: Shoulder subluxations are often a result of contact sports, including hockey and football. Sports that involve falling, such as skiing or gymnastics, can also cause subluxations.
• Stroke: One review found that 80% of stroke victims experienced shoulder subluxations after the event. This is because strokes often cause muscle weakness, leading to destabilization of the shoulder joint.

Shoulder Dislocation Prevention

To lower your risk of re-injuring your shoulder joint, make sure to:

• Do what you can to avoid falls
• Wear protective gear during contact sports
• Exercise regularly to build strength and flexibility in your joints and muscles

Contact SPORT Today for Shoulder Dislocations

If you think you dislocated your shoulder partially or completely, tore your ACL, tore your rotator cuff, sprained your ankle, or you struggle with general aches and pains, call SPORT Orthopedics and Physical Therapy at (469) 200-2832 because your healing and comfort is important to us. We’ll fix you up and get you back to a normal, pain-free life.