What to Do in Case of a Shoulder Dislocation

The shoulder is one of the most used joints, this makes it more prone to dislocation than other joints. In the shoulder, the arm is linked to the rest of the body in a ball and socket-shaped joint that comprises three bones: the clavicle, the scapula, and the humerus, these bones are held together by ligaments, muscles, and tendons. The anatomy of the shoulder generates its circular movement which allows a wider range of motion than other joints, but this advantage comes at a cost since the great capacity of mobility in the shoulder is also what makes it easier to dislocate. 

Shoulder dislocation is very common, but it is especially recurrent in athletes. This is the most common kind of dislocation in people who practice sports. This happens due to the execution of forceful movements with the shoulder while applying pressure. For example, this dislocation is common in sports like hockey, volleyball, or rugby. Dislocations can also happen because of an injury by falling or hitting the shoulder aggressively.

How Does the Dislocation Happen?

As we mentioned, the shoulder is characterized by having and pop and socket form, here the top of the humerus, which is round, forms the head of the structure and the scapula has the socket role where the ball fits in. When the ball, hence, the humerus’ head gets out of the scapula, it causes great pain, and this is what is known as a shoulder dislocation.

Symptoms

Some of the most common signs of a shoulder dislocation include, of course, an intense sensation of pain, this is usually accompanied by loss of movement, which can happen slightly or completely. It is also an easily observable injury since usually, it is possible to see the humerus being placed out of the scapula and to the front.

Treatment

A shoulder dislocation must be treated immediately, the main goal here is to place the humerus back into the scapula. To do this, different specific techniques can be applied, therefore a medical expert will be required to take charge of it. The first thing to do will be to immobilize the arm, a sling might be necessary to do this appropriately, but is it not essential. Then the medical staff in charge will then proceed to reduce the dislocation. 

The patient should have the affected area immobilized with a sling for around three weeks so that the harmed tissues can heal, and the shoulder can slowly recover its movement capacity. This immobilization will be followed by a rehabilitation period to help tone and recover the whole shoulder mobility. Adequate recovery treatment is necessary not only to get the shoulder back in shape but also to avoid long-term shoulder conditions which can cause the shoulder’s locking.