Dislocated shoulder – treatment and prevention

A dislocated shoulder is painful, debilitating, and needs urgent treatment. Find out what to do when it happens to you. Plus, how to prevent future dislocations.

What are the symptoms?

When to get emergency help

How is it diagnosed?

What causes it and who’s at risk?

How is a dislocated shoulder treated? 

Self-care tips

How to prevent it 

A dislocated shoulder is where your upper arm bone pops out of your shoulder socket. It’s relatively common and is mostly caused by an accident or injury. Once you’ve had a dislocated shoulder you’ll be prone to it happening again, but self-care tips and physical therapy can help minimize this risk. Find out more. 

Dislocated shoulders – where an accident or fall causes the upper arm bone to pop out of its joint – account for half of all joint dislocations.

The shoulder joint is particularly flexible so a knock or force can either push it completely, or partially, out of its socket. Because the shoulder is so flexible it’s actually considered an ‘unstable’ joint, making it more likely to be knocked out of place.

Either way, you’ll need medical assistance to put the bone back in without causing further shoulder damage.

Once it is back in place, your shoulder should feel a lot more comfortable but you’ll need to follow medical advice to make sure it fully recovers and heals over the next 3 to 4 months.

The joint will be more likely to dislocate if it gets knocked in the future, but self-care tips and exercise can help reduce this risk. 

## What are the symptoms?

A dislocated shoulder will look noticeably out of place and deformed, and you won’t be able to move it normally.

You may also have:

- swelling
- bruising
- a lot of pain
- heard a popping sensation
- muscle spasms
- numbness or weakness, for example in the neck or down the arm
- nausea.

Get help with this

## When to get emergency help

Get medical help as soon as possible if you’re unable to move your arm, your shoulder shape has changed and it looks out of place, or it’s swollen, painful, or bruised.

Do not try to put your arm back in its socket yourself because you may cause damage to the joint or ligaments – not to mention it can be incredibly painful and traumatic.

Try to keep it still and apply an [ice pack for up to 20 minutes](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/dislocated-shoulder#selfcare-tips) (you can do this every few hours) while you’re waiting to be seen.

Make sure the doctor knows if your shoulder has been dislocated before.

## How is it diagnosed?

Your doctor will easily diagnose a dislocated shoulder by looking at it. They should be able to put it back in by using [various techniques](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/dislocated-shoulder#treatment).

But you may also need further examination and tests to look for signs of damage to nerves, blood vessels, bones, or the joint itself, including an X-ray.  

## What causes it and who’s at risk?

Common causes of shoulder dislocation include:

- contact sports, such as rugby, football, wrestling, boxing, or hockey
- sports such as skiing, skateboarding, and gymnastics
- falls
- being knocked into or knocked down by someone or something
- falling off a bicycle or motorbike
- car accidents.

People who have weak or loose ligaments are more at risk of shoulder dislocation.

If your shoulder has been dislocated before, it may not take much effort to make it pop out again.

## How is a dislocated shoulder treated? 

First you will have your shoulder put back into place – this is known as closed reduction. 
It can be painful, although it’s a fairly quick procedure, so you may be offered pain relief or a sedative to help.

If it’s a fairly straightforward dislocation with no further damage, it should be fully better in a few months. During this time you may need to support it by wearing a sling and not doing any sport.

[Self-care tips](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/dislocated-shoulder#selfcare-tips) may help with any pain, discomfort, or weakness during your recovery. 

If there’s further damage to the affected arm or joint – or it keeps dislocating (called chronic shoulder instability) – you may need to have surgery. This can help reset the joint or repair damage to ligaments or other parts of the shoulder.

After surgery it will be important to rest and recover well. You’ll need to have physical therapy to mobilize and strengthen the joint.


## Self-care tips

To help your shoulder recover after dislocation – you should try:

- applying an ice pack, wrapped in a cloth, a few times a day for up to 20 minutes to reduce swelling or pain. You can alternate ice with a heat pad if you prefer
- taking pain relief
- having physical therapy
- doing exercises regularly (when your doctor or physical therapist advises) to strengthen the joint and muscles.

## How to prevent it 

Accidents are inevitable and while you can’t wrap yourself up in cotton wool to prevent shoulder dislocation, you can take steps to minimize your risk. If you have already had a dislocation, reduce your risk of it dislocating again by:

- avoiding heavy lifting (especially having had a shoulder dislocation in the past)
- wearing protection in contact sports
- exercising regularly to keep muscles and joints as strong as possible, especially if you’re continuing to play contact sports
- exercising gently and safely, listening to your body
- being sensible to avoid falls – use a stick if you are wobbly and ask for help with tasks that require standing on a chair or ladder to reach something. 


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References

Juliet Blank

Fiona Bugler

Dr Ewan O'Farrell

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