Shoulder Dislocations
Shoulder dislocations are a relatively common injury that results in the humerus(ball) separating from the glenoid(socket). It occurs following trauma which may take the form of a fall on the outstretched arm, a direct blow onto the shoulder like in a motor vehicle accident or a sports-related injury. It can also occur following minimal trauma in those individuals who have lax ligaments.
Immediately following a dislocation, the patient will have pain in the shoulder and will be holding the arm slightly away from the body and externally rotated as this reduces pain. You can sometimes see that the shoulder contour is abnormal. Nerve or damage to the vessels to the upper limb can occur but this is rare.
When a shoulder dislocation occurs, prompt medical attention is required to reduce the shoulder back into position. It should not be attempted to reduce the shoulder by any persons who is not trained to do so as complications like fractures have been known to occur with poor techniques with reduction. A medical professional will after the necessary X-rays, administer some medication for pain and relax your muscles to aid in the reduction of the shoulder.
The management thereafter depends on the age of the patients. Older patients can be immobilized in a sling for up to 3 weeks and shoulder strengthening and movement exercises beginning thereafter. In The younger patient, however, the risk of re-dislocation is almost 100%. For these patients, what is advocated is that they have surgery to stabilize the shoulder (Bankart Repair). This is done arthroscopically and the shoulder immobilized in a sling for up to 6 weeks thereafter.