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| SHOULDER DISLOCATION TREATMENT |
FAQ'S ANSWERED IN THIS POST ARE?
- Is my shoulder dislocated?
- What tests do I need?
- What treatment approach do you recommend?
- Are there alternatives?
- How long will it take for my shoulder to heal?
- Will I have to stop participating in sports?
- For how long?
- How can I protect myself from re-injuring my shoulder?
Most Versatile Joint
The shoulder is the body's most mobile joint, which makes it susceptible to dislocation.
- Because it moves in several directions, your shoulder can dislocate forward, backward or downward, completely or partially, though most dislocations occur through the front of the shoulder.
- Anterior dislocation is common.
- It takes a strong force to pull the bones out of place, such as a sudden blow to your shoulder.
Main Causes of Shoulder Dislocation
Shoulder dislocation is a common injury in contact sports like football and hockey, and in sports that involve falls, such as downhill skiing, gymnastics and volleyball.
Trauma not related to sports like a hard blow to your shoulder during a motor vehicle accident is a common source of dislocation.
Signs and Symptoms of Shoulder Dislocation
Dislocated shoulder appears to be out-of-place.
- Shoulder gets Swelled and Bruised. Patient suffers through Intense pain and is unable to move the arm.
Diagnosis of Dislocated Shoulder
- Dugas - Pt. Seated & instructed to place hand on opposite shoulder and touch elbow to chest - test is positive if there is pain & inablility to perform indicates dislocation.
- Calloways - -measure girth of affected shoulder & compare to unaffected - increased girth indicates dislocation.
- Bryants Sign - look for lowering of axillary fold - if present then dislocation on low side.
Treatment for Shoulder Dislocation
The purpose of the initial treatment of a dislocated shoulder is to reduce the dislocation and return the humeral head to its normal place in the glenoid fossa i.e. to get the shoulder back to its place.
- Doctors carry out some gentle maneuvers to help the shoulder bones back into their proper position this technique is called Closed Reduction.
- Severe pain improves as soon as the shoulder bones gets back in place.
Surgical Treatment of Dislocated Shoulder
Doctor's opt for surgery if the shoulder joint is too weak and is tend to dislocations despite having proper strength and rehab.
In Rare cases, Surgery is needed if nerves or blood vessels are damaged.
Immobilization of Shoulder Joint
After relocation of the shoulder joint, it is recommended to be kept at rest.
- Special Splint or Sling are used for few weeks to keep the shoulder from moving.
- Doctor's prescribe pain reliever or muscle relaxant just to make one feel comfortable while the shoulder heals.
- After completion of Immobilization period the shoulder Splint or Sling is removed just to begin with a gradual Rehabilitation program which is designed to restore range of motion, strength and stability to your shoulder joint.
- Rehab program includes physical therapy and massages.
Physical Therapy for Shoulder Dislocation
- Physical therapy increases flexibility and restore range of motion.
- Physical therapists use massage therapies, heat and ice therapies, and acupuncture as a part of a plan to enhance the overall strength.
- Developing strong muscles creates an internal “brace” for the shoulder joint. Strengthening shoulder muscles also helps in preventing a future shoulder dislocation.
- Special exercises are designed to stretch and strengthen the muscles surrounding the shoulder, including those in the arm and upper back.
- Exercises are done in 3 phases:
- Phase 1 exercises include : shoulder flexion, shoulderyabduction, lateral rotation.
- Phase 2 exercises include : static strengthening exercises, mobility exercises and scapula setting exercises.
- Phase 3 exercises include : theraband exercises.
Recovery Time from Dislocated Shoulder
- Recovery period depends on the seriousness of the shoulder injury.
- Separated shoulders may heal over a period of 6 weeks.
- Dislocated shoulders may take longer to heal, about 3 to 12 weeks. But these are just approximations as every individual heals at a different rate.
- Symptoms like stiffness take even longer to heal. A separated shoulder can sometimes leave a permanent, but painless, bump on the shoulder.
- Those who play contact sports must be careful about their recovery before playing again.One must not rush to the previous level of physical activity until the injured shoulder moves as freely as the uninjured shoulder.
- It could cause permanent damage if the injured shoulder is used before it's completely healed.
- Getting back in the game early is not worth the risk of a lifelong disability.
Complication of Dislocated Shoulder
Most common Complication of shoulder dislocations are fractures of bones that are involved in joint.
- Often the circumflex axillary nerve is injured but it recovers spontaneously in a few weeks, but this is an important complication to be recognized, Since damage to the nerve may cause weakness of the deltoid muscle that helps move the shoulder.
- Older patients who dislocate their shoulder may have rotator cuff injuries.
- Rare complications of shoulder dislocations include tearing of the axillary artery. Even Brachial plexus injury can occur in which the nerve bundle that attaches the arm nerves to the spinal cord is damaged.
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| Mo Salah injured his left shoulder while playing in this match. Salah had to move out of the field after this incident cause He dislocated his left shoulder. Surgery was done and a special rehab program was designed, to get him back on field. “It was a very tough night, but I'm a fighter,” said Salah in an ig post. |
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A shoulder specialist in Mumbai couples the patient’s symptoms with their own examination findings to confirm the diagnosis. A short history of the patient’s activities before they dislocated their shoulder is also helpful. Patients usually have a clear memory of any accident ot injury that triggered their shoulder symptoms.
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