You fall or you make a strange movement, causing the arm to move too far sideways in relation to the body. This rapid jerking movement or fall causes the joint of the arm to partially or completely come out of the shoulder. Usually the muscles attached to the shoulder blade, upper arm and joint parts ensure that the joint head always remains in the shoulder socket. Sometimes the shoulder may dislocate. What causes a shoulder to dislocate, what are the symptoms and how can the shoulder be put back in place?
Dislocated shoulder
- Two types of dislocated shoulder
- How does the condition arise?
- Symptoms
- Put it back and treat it
- Recovery period
Two types of dislocated shoulder
There are two forms of a dislocated shoulder.
- the shoulder dislocates laterally and shoots forward. This form applies in more than 96% of cases. This form is very painful and can therefore be quickly recognized;
- the shoulder can also shoot backwards. In that case, it is often not recognized that there is a dislocated shoulder. This variant is less painful or there is no pain at all. As a result, people may have to walk around with it for years. This often affects people whose muscles are already weakening, i.e. in people from the age of forty.
How does the condition arise?
Normally the shoulder dislocates when a stressful circumstance occurs such as a traffic accident, fall from a certain height or incorrect movement. If the most common variant occurs, this is often accompanied by damage to surrounding tissue, muscles and capsule of the socket or head. Resetting the shoulder by untrained persons can also cause damage. Some people naturally have weak muscles and/or a large socket, which causes the shoulder to regularly dislocate.
Symptoms
The main symptom of a dislocated shoulder is the inability to move the arm, because it hurts a lot. The condition is often quickly recognized by the doctor due to the description of the circumstances in combination with the severe pain. If in doubt, a photo is taken to see how the shoulder has dislocated. Please note that if the shoulder has moved backwards, there may be no apparent symptoms.
Put it back and treat it
To reset a shoulder, one must know what needs to be done. Additional damage quickly occurs if untrained people carry out a reduction. Care must always be taken to get the head back into the bowl. To reduce the initial pain, painkillers are used in combination with muscle relaxants. By means of a dexterous movement and pulling on the arm, the head pops back into the socket. The shoulder can then have long-term problems due to pain or stiffness. If the shoulder dislocates more often than not, corrective surgery may be necessary, except for a dislocated shoulder.
Recovery period
If the shoulder has been reset by someone from the emergency room through a handy movement, a check of the shoulder by a medical specialist may be necessary. Also because the shoulder needs rest for the first few days, a sling is often used. However, if the shoulder has been surgically reset, prolonged rest is required. A sling must necessarily support the arm for the first month. The muscles and joint only recover with rest. After a month, a physiotherapy program is completed to improve the quality of the muscles and joint.
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