Dislocated Shoulder

What is a dislocated shoulder?

From: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

Your shoulder joint is made up of three bones: your collarbone, your shoulder blade, and your upper arm bone. The top of your upper arm bone is shaped like a ball. This ball fits into a cuplike socket in your shoulder blade. A shoulder dislocation is an injury that happens when the ball pops out of your socket. A dislocation may be partial, where the ball is only partially out of the socket. It can also be a full dislocation, where the ball is completely out of the socket.

What causes a dislocated shoulder?

From: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

Your shoulders are the most movable joints in your body. They are also the most commonly dislocated joints.

The most common causes of shoulder dislocations are:

• Sports injuries
• Accidents, including traffic accidents
• Falling on your shoulder or outstretched arm
• Seizures and electric shocks, which can cause muscle contractions that pull the arm out of place

Who is at risk for a dislocated shoulder?

From: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

A dislocated shoulder can happen to anyone, but they are more common in young men, who are more often involved in sports and other physical activities. Older adults, especially women, are also at higher risk because they are more likely to fall.

What are the symptoms of a dislocated shoulder?

From: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

The symptoms of a dislocated shoulder include:

• Severe shoulder pain
• Swelling and bruising of your shoulder or upper arm
• Numbness and/or weakness in your arm, neck, hand, or fingers
• Trouble moving your arm
• Your arm seems to be out of place
• Muscle spasms in your shoulder

If you are having these symptoms, get medical treatment right away.

How is a dislocated shoulder diagnosed?

From: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

To make a diagnosis, your health care provider will take a medical history and examine your shoulder. Your provider may also ask you to get an x-ray to confirm the diagnosis.

What are the treatments for a dislocated shoulder?

From: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

The treatment for dislocated shoulder usually involves three steps:

• The first step is a closed reduction, a procedure in which your health care provider puts the ball of your upper arm back into the socket. You may first get medicine to relieve the pain and relax your shoulder muscles. Once the joint is back in place, the severe pain should end.
• The second step is wearing a sling or other device to keep your shoulder in place. You will wear it for a few days to several weeks.
• The third step is rehabilitation, once the pain and swelling have improved. You will do exercises to improve your range of motion and strengthen your muscles.

You may need surgery if you injure the tissues or nerves around the shoulder or if you get repeated dislocations.

A dislocation can make your shoulder unstable. When that happens, it takes less force to dislocate it. This means that there is a higher risk of it happening again. Your health care provider may ask you to continue doing some exercises to prevent another dislocation.

Understanding terms used in the source

These definitions explain medical words used above. A definition is not evidence that another condition is present, and it does not predict how a symptom will develop. Ask the clinician which terms apply to the actual examination or test result.

Shoulder dislocation

A displacement or misalignment of the humerus with respect to the other bones of the should joint. Note that a subluxation is a partial dislocation.

Shoulder pain

An unpleasant sensation characterized by physical discomfort (such as pricking, throbbing, or aching) localized to the shoulder.

Which doctor should you see?

The suggested department for discussing Dislocated Shoulder is Orthopaedics, with a orthopaedic specialist as the relevant type of clinician. General physician / Family Medicine; paediatrician for children. Referral depends on symptoms.

This is an editorial referral starting point. The appropriate clinic depends on the person’s age, symptoms, previous diagnosis and local services. The first clinician can decide whether another specialty or a team is needed; a department label does not confirm the diagnosis.

How to prepare for an assessment

Bring a short timeline of the main symptoms: when they first appeared, whether they are constant or episodic, what seems to change them, and how they affect daily activities. Include previous reports, discharge summaries, current medicines and supplements, allergies, and any relevant family history. A dated record is more useful than trying to match every feature in an online article.

Ask the clinician what is already established and what remains uncertain. If a test is suggested, ask what question it answers, what its limitations are and how the result would change the next step. The information here is not an instruction to arrange every possible test. In children, bring growth, developmental and school information if it is relevant to the concern.

• What explains the change in pain, movement or function?
• Which activities need adjustment while the diagnosis is being clarified?
• What are the roles of rehabilitation, observation and surgery in this situation?

Treatment discussions and follow-up

Where the source describes treatments, these are an overview of possible care, not a prescription for an individual. Ask which option applies to the confirmed diagnosis, what benefit is expected, what adverse effects to watch for and how progress will be assessed. Availability, approvals and local practice can differ from the country described in the source.

Before leaving the appointment, clarify the next review date, who will communicate results, and whom to contact if the situation changes. Discuss difficulties with sleep, work, school, mobility, eating or emotional wellbeing when these are relevant. Practical support may require coordination between the treating clinician and other services.

When to seek emergency help

Severe breathing difficulty, collapse, new stroke-like symptoms, a seizure that is prolonged or repeated without recovery, uncontrolled major bleeding, or an immediate risk of self-harm require emergency help. In India, call 112 or reach the nearest emergency department. This is a general, non-exhaustive warning list; it is not a condition-specific triage tool.