Don't Let a Dislocated Shoulder Slow You Down: Learn the Facts (2024)

The shoulder—a ball-and-socket joint—is the most mobile joint in the body. However, that also means it is easily injured. A dislocated shoulder is an injury that causes the ball at the end of the humerus (upper arm bone) to push out of the socket of the scapula (shoulder blade).

This injury typically results from trauma, such as a fall, car accident, or sports injury. Sports-related shoulder dislocations are most common among adolescents and young adults, while fall-related shoulder dislocations occur more often in older adults.

This article discusses shoulder dislocations, including types, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Types of Dislocated Shoulders

Not all dislocated shoulders are the same; there are various types.

• Partial dislocation (subluxation): The ball of the humerus moves partially out of the socket.
• Complete dislocation: The ball of the humerus moves entirely out of the socket.

Dislocations can also occur in different directions.

• Anterior dislocation: The ball of the humerus moves forward.
• Posterior dislocation: The ball of the humerus backward.
• Inferior dislocation: The ball of the humerus moves downward.
  

Dislocated Shoulder Symptoms

Shoulder dislocation is typically a very painful injury and is sometimes obvious to identify to the lay observer. Other symptoms of shoulder dislocation can include:

• Bruising
• Deformity
• Limited ability to move the shoulder
• Swelling
  
• Tingling or numbness in the arm
  
• Weakness

What Causes a Dislocated Shoulder?

The most common cause of dislocated shoulder is trauma, such as with impact from a fall, car accident, or sports-related injury.

In younger adults, shoulder dislocations are more common in males and result from sports-related incidents. In older adults, females experience more shoulder dislocations, and they are usually from a fall.

Shoulder dislocations also have less common causes, including electrical shock (like lightning strikes) and seizures. These situations cause abnormal muscle contractions that pull the ball out of the socket.

Risk Factors

Once you have dislocated your shoulder, the risk of recurrence significantly increases. The ligaments that hold bones together in the shoulder joint get stretched every time the ball moves out of place. These structures are not elastic, so they will not return to their original length.

When the ligaments can't secure the shoulder joint, the surrounding muscles must work extra hard to stabilize the shoulder against external forces. If these muscles are weak, the risk further increases.

How Are Shoulder Dislocations Diagnosed?

Healthcare providers begin the diagnostic process with a physical examination and use X-rays or other imaging to diagnose a dislocated shoulder officially.

Computed tomography (CT scan) can determine whether the bone itself has been damaged, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be helpful for assessing damage to ligaments and tendons that can occur with shoulder dislocation.

How Dislocated Shoulders Are Treated

A healthcare provider's initial treatment for a dislocated shoulder is maneuvering the ball back into the socket, known as a closed reduction. Only a qualified healthcare provider should do this maneuver.

In some cases, the shoulder can relocate (move back into the proper position) by itself after this injury, especially if it has happened previously and the joint structures are stretched out.

Home remedies can help reduce pain after a shoulder dislocation. These include:

• Wear a sling: After a provider performs a closed reduction, wear a sling to support your shoulder until you follow up with an orthopedist (medical specialist in conditions of the musculoskeletal system) who will evaluate the extent of your injury and advise you about resuming the use of your arm.
• Apply ice: Apply ice to your shoulder several times per day to help reduce pain and swelling.
• Use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): These drugs, such as Aleve (naproxen), Motrin/Advil (ibuprofen), and Bayer (aspirin), help reduce inflammation and pain after a shoulder dislocation.

Physical therapy is common after a shoulder dislocation, especially if it has occurred more than once and you have weak muscles. Treatments can include:

• Range of motion exercises
• Strengthening exercises
• Pain-relieving modalities (such as ultrasound, heat/ice, electrical stimulation)
  

Surgery

Severe dislocations might require surgery to repair damaged structures and make the joint stable again. Surgery can include tightening ligaments and repairing the labrum (the layer of tissue that runs around the rim of the socket to provide stability).

Recurrent dislocations can also cause bone loss at the end of the humerus—a condition called a Hill-Sachs lesion. In these cases, surgery might also include grafting bone to build it back up.

Physical therapy is an important part of the recovery process after surgery for a dislocated shoulder.

Dislocated Shoulder Recovery Time and Rehabilitation

Recovery time after shoulder dislocation depends on several factors, such as the severity of your injury, whether it was also dislocated in the past, and the type of activities you participate in.

If this is your first dislocation and you did not sustain any additional injuries, your healthcare provider might advise you to rest for a few weeks in a sling and gradually return to your normal daily activities within your pain tolerance.

If you have decreased range of motion and strength, a healthcare provider may recommend rehabilitation exercises to help you regain the use of your arm. It's best to do these exercises under the instruction of a physical therapist, who can make sure you take proper precautions based on the direction of your dislocation and other injuries.

Your range of motion and strength should recover within four to six weeks after an uncomplicated shoulder dislocation. After surgery, physical therapy can last for several months.

However, you can take up to 12 months after injury to feel back to normal.

What Are the Complications of a Dislocated Shoulder?

Shoulder dislocations can lead to further complications. These can include:

• Damage to the bone that, if left unaddressed, could cause permanent range of motion limitations
• Frozen shoulder (overtightening of the tissue around the shoulder joint, making it extremely difficult to move the shoulder)
• Repeated shoulder dislocations
• Shoulder instability (overstretching of the ligaments, making the ball loose in the socket)

Can You Prevent a Dislocated Shoulder?

Because trauma and accidents are the primary cause of shoulder dislocation, it's nearly impossible to prevent this injury. However, there are things you can do to keep your shoulder joint strong and protected during high-risk activities, including the following:

• Doing strengthening exercises: Regularly performing shoulder exercises can help your shoulder muscles stay strong, which can help protect your joint when it's overstretched.
• Using proper form and technique: Certain activities increase the risk of shoulder dislocation due to the position in which they are performed. For example, shoulder dislocations can occur from bench-pressing with heavy weights. Bring your elbows closer to your sides to better protect your shoulder during a bench press.
• Wearing protective gear: Wearing protective gear can help reduce the risk of shoulder dislocation during high-risk activities and contact sports.

Summary

Shoulder dislocations are injuries that cause the ball of the upper arm bone to come out of the socket of the shoulder joint. This painful injury most commonly occurs from trauma, such as a car accident, sports injury, or a fall. Healthcare providers primarily diagnose this injury using X-rays.

Treatment for shoulder dislocation includes repositioning the bones by a healthcare provider, home remedies to decrease pain and inflammation, and physical therapy to restore function. In severe cases, you may need surgery.