Dislocated Shoulder
What is a Dislocated Shoulder?
A dislocated shoulder occurs when the upper arm bone has popped out of the shoulder socket. This is a very serious injury requiring immediate medical attention.
Please do not attempt to fix a dislocated shoulder yourself by popping the shoulder back into the socket. Doing so may cause damage to tendons, muscles, nerves and blood vessels, requiring you to have surgery to repair the damage. If you suspect you have a dislocated shoulder, please visit your nearest emergency room for immediate assistance.
Dislocated Shoulder Causes
- A strong impact to the shoulder
- Extreme rotation of the shoulder joint
- Sports injuries, especially in contact sports or sports that involve falling
- Traffic accidents
- Falling
Dislocated Shoulder Symptoms
If you have any of the following symptoms, please seek medical attention immediately:
- The shoulder being visibly deformed or out-of-place
- Shoulder swelling
- Shoulder bruising
- Shoulder numbness
- Shoulder weakness
- Tingling near the injury
- Intense shoulder pain
- Not being able to move the shoulder joint
Dislocated Shoulder Diagnosis
Diagnosing a dislocated shoulder quickly is crucial to preventing additional shoulder issues in the future. If you have injured your shoulder, please seek medical care as soon as possible for a proper diagnosis.
- Physical examination from a shoulder specialist to identify tenderness, swelling or deformity
- An X-Ray
Dislocated Shoulder Treatment
Treating a dislocated shoulder quickly is crucial to preventing additional shoulder issues in the future. If you have injured your shoulder, please seek medical care as soon as possible to begin treatment.
- Closed reduction
- Immobilization with a splint or sling
- Medication
- Rehabilitation
- Surgery, if necessary