Dislocated Shoulder
The dislocation of the shoulder can be an extremely painful injury, although thankfully it’s not all that serious. The basis is that the upper arm bone pops out of its ball and socket joint – meaning it’s completely out of position. The injury can occur across a wide range of sports and is usually caused through a blow.
Most of the time a dislocated shoulder can heal within a few weeks, but there can be more serious cases. The glenoid labrum is the ring of cartilage that helps form the shoulder joint and should this get damaged, other injuries such as Bankart Lesion can occur. What’s more, if the dislocation is extremely severe, there’s a chance that nearby ligaments or even other bones can be affected.
Symptoms
The most obvious symptom is severe pain around the shoulder joint. As the humerus is completely out of place there’s a chance you will be able to see a notable difference in the positions of both shoulders – with the injured one looking abnormal compared to the other. Bruising and swelling are two other symptoms and if the injury is serious, movement might be impossible.
Should there be any kind of nerve damage, there could be further symptoms. These could include a pins and needles feeling around the shoulder, as well as numbness all the way down the arm.
Causes
The causes of this injury are very easy to explain, as it’s simply the shoulder bone coming out of the joint. As the shoulder can rotate into so many positions, the joint can come out of place in different positions and situations. A partial dislocation can be described when the bone is just partway out of the joint.
A sudden blow is the main cause for this injury and therefore athletes are people who are highly at risk. Contact sports such as football and hockey provide the biggest risk, although any sport which involves a lot of falls also carries some threat as the shoulder could slam against the floor.
Another cause, albeit rare, is the extreme twisting of the shoulder. This causes the top part of the arm to “pop” out of place.
Treatment
A dislocated shoulder is usually easy to treat, with the method involving a doctor or expert putting the shoulder back into place. This is called closed reduction and sees the medic gently force the bone back into position. A lot of the time no pain relief is required, although if the injury is severe then a sedative could be used or in extreme cases – a general anesthetic.
Once the above is done the pain should improve immediately. Even though the injury may feel much better, rest is often recommended and sometimes assistance such as a sling may also be provided. The final treatment should involve a short rehabilitation program which focuses on small exercises to build back strength into the shoulder joint.
Should the injury be serious, surgery might be an option though. This method is called open reduction and will usually only be offered to those who suffer regular shoulder dislocations or if the joint is weak.
In the vast majority of cases, a dislocated shoulder will return to full strength and mobility.
Prevention
Unfortunately, a dislocated shoulder usually occurs due to bad luck. Whether it be a fall or a hard blow during sport, it’s hard to prevent these occurrences.
In some sports which involve a lot of contact, such as football, protective clothing should be worn which will protect the joints. For most sports it’s impossible to prevent this injury though. Like all areas of the body, performing exercises in a bid to strengthen the joint will go some way into helping prevent the injury, but it won’t guarantee you 100% protection. Your doctor or physiotherapist will provide you with a list of exercises that are suitable to improve this joint and therefore minimize the risk.