How to Treat Any Type of Dislocated Shoulder

Contents

How to treat a dislocated shoulder - main considerations
How to treat a dislocated shoulder at home by yourself?
How to treat a partially dislocated shoulder? How to treat a pinched nerve due to dislocated shoulder?
How to treat a dislocated shoulder naturally?
How to treat a dislocated shoulder blade?
How to treat a suspected dislocated shoulder?
How to treat a dislocated shoulder first aid?
Conclusion
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How to treat a dislocated shoulder - main considerations

A dislocated shoulder is a common occurrence for active people. A shoulder dislocation can be defined as the humerus bone being displaced from the glenohumeral joint, which is commonly referred to as “the shoulder”. The humerus is the large bone of the upper arm which works with the shoulder blade, also known as the scapula, to form the shoulder. When a joint dislocates, the bone “pops” out of place for a significant amount of time. In contrast, a joint subluxation, is when a joint is separated for a instantaneous moment and then is immediately “reduced”, or goes back into place.

Common causes of a dislocated shoulder include falling on an outstretched arm, a forceful pull or “yank” of the arm, or a trauma such as a motor vehicle accident. In San Francisco, these injuries often occur with a fall while hiking or a forceful pull of the arm while lifting weights or climbing.

Genetics and your hobbies, interests, or occupation also play a role in your risk of shoulder dislocation. A person’s flexibility and the shape of their shoulder joint can affect the inherent stability of their shoulder. People with physically demanding jobs and hobbies may also be at increased risk to dislocate their shoulder.

The severity of injury from a shoulder dislocation varies and is dependent on many factors including the mechanism of dislocation. If you do believe you have suffered a dislocated shoulder, or any joint dislocation, you should seek medical attention. DO NOT attempt to pop the bone back in yourself as this can worsen the injury. It is common for dislocations to result in bone fractures, tissue damage and can even lead to significant syndromes such as avascular necrosis. It is in your best interest to consult a trained medical expert.

While there is no way to completely prevent shoulder dislocations, improving strength of the shoulder and surrounding structures, training muscular control and avoiding direct trauma to the shoulder can mitigate your risk for a dislocation.

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How to treat a dislocated shoulder at home by yourself?

If you have been diagnosed with a shoulder dislocation, or if you think you may have dislocated your shoulder, you should immediately seek medical attention. The doctor will likely order imaging to evaluate the integrity of the joint, soft tissue and bones, and then reduce your shoulder in the safest possible manner.

To reduce your shoulder means to put the bone back into the joint space. There are a variety of methods used to safely reduce your shoulder joint and the method chosen often depends on the amount of pain and trauma associated with the injury. Once you have been cleared by a medical professional, it’s in your best interest to seek guidance from a physical therapist to restore your shoulder function. While there is plentiful access to physical therapy in the San Francisco Bay Area, residents of rural locations may have more difficulty finding care. In this case, Telehealth would still be better than self-care. Shoulder dislocation rehab can often be complex and involves specific manual techniques and exercises to restore motion, train muscular control and improve strength of the shoulder and surrounding areas.

If you are unable to see a physical therapist, or do not have access to one, your first objective should be to follow your doctor’s instructions. Shoulder dislocations cause significant trauma and can significantly weaken the muscles and joint which can increase your risk for re-injury, or further injury. While every injury is different, a dislocation often benefits from a few days, or up to 6 weeks of immobilization. This immobilization is often achieved through the use of shoulder sling.

Once the shoulder has recovered enough to progress your recovery, the first objective of any rehab program should be to restore shoulder range of motion. There are a variety of stretches and techniques that can be used to improve your shoulder range of motion. Assuming your opposite shoulder is healthy, you can use it as a guide for the quantity of each shoulder motion your injured shoulder should be able to achieve.

While the rehab process is not always comfortable, you should not push into significant pain while restoring shoulder motion. As the range of motion improves, you should actively be working to strengthen and improve control in the new ranges of motion you have the ability to reach.

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How to treat a partially dislocated shoulder?

While people often use the term “partially dislocated shoulder”, there is no such thing. The shoulder either dislocates and the two bones that form the joint are separated, or it did not dislocate.

Occasionally, the term partially dislocated is referring to a joint subluxation. A subluxation is the same thing as a joint dislocation, except the bone does not remain dislocated for a significant amount of time. The joint separates for an instantaneous moment, and the re-approximates. While subluxations often result in less damage, this is not always the case. You should still seek medical attention if you think you have subluxed your shoulder.

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How to treat a pinched nerve due to dislocated shoulder?

It is possible to have nerve symptoms following a dislocated shoulder. The nerves from your spine travel in and around your shoulder joint to travel to your arms and upper back. Trauma to the shoulder can cause pressure on these nerves via tissue damage, muscle tightness, inflammation and/or strain to the nerve. Since the shoulder and spine are located closely together, and their movements affect each other, traumas that cause shoulder dislocations can also cause injury to the spine.

Nerve symptoms can include, but are not limited to feelings of: numbness, tingling, burning, pain, and decreased sensation. Prolonged pressure on a nerve can lead to permanent nerve damage and muscle atrophy. If you experience nerve symptoms following a dislocated shoulder inform your doctor and seek the advice of a physical therapist.

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How to treat a dislocated shoulder naturally?

It’s always best to avoid surgery when possible as there is no surgery without risk. However, it’s not always possible, or in your best interest. Depending on the severity of the injury and the demands of your hobbies, interests and work, shoulder surgery is sometimes indicated.

If surgery is avoidable, you can improve your shoulder function through exercises and activities that target improvements in shoulder range of motion, strength and muscular control.

In addition to improving the shoulder function, it may also be appropriate to modify your activities to reduce your risk of re-injury. An important factor to consider is that a shoulder dislocation often results in a more unstable shoulder. If you dislocate the shoulder multiple times, the shoulder will continue to become more unstable. While strength and muscular control exercises can help, voluntary control of the shoulder is not always enough to combat an inherently unstable shoulder.

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How to treat a dislocated shoulder blade?

This is another misnomer, a shoulder blade cannot dislocate, because the shoulder blade is not a true joint. The shoulder blade rests on the rib cage and is described as a “pseudo-joint”. True joints are the approximation of two bones and have a joint capsules and joint fluid. The shoulder blade does approximate with the ribcage, and shares many common traits with a true joint, but they are not the same.

Often times when someone references a dislocated shoulder blade, they are referring to “scapular dyskenisia” or a “winging scapula”. Scapular dyskinesia is an entirely different injury and is the result of a weakness or inability to control the shoulder blade.

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How to treat a suspected dislocated shoulder?

If you suspect you have a shoulder dislocation, seek medical attention. Signs and symptoms associated with a frozen shoulder often include the presence of a physical abnormality where the shoulder appears lower than normal, weakness, pain, and discomfort. However, the signs and symptoms of a shoulder dislocation are not always as obvious as you would think. It is not uncommon for people to not realize they have dislocated their shoulder and instead complain of pain, weakness and unusual sensations.

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How to treat a dislocated shoulder first aid?

If you dislocate your shoulder, remain calm. While emotions of fear and anxiety are common, they are not helpful. Support the shoulder with a sling, your opposite arm, or a pillow beneath the arm. Most importantly, do not attempt to pop the shoulder back in yourself. This can cause more harm and injury and can be more painful than necessary.

The most appropriate measure to take is to seek medical attention immediately.

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Brian King, PT, DPT

Brian is a physical therapist and co-owner at Kauno

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