Shoulder dislocation (patient information)

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Shoulder dislocation
Overview
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
Who is at highest risk?
Diagnosis
When to seek urgent medical care?
Treatment options
Where to find medical care for Shoulder dislocation?
Prevention
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
Shoulder dislocation On the Web
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
Images of Shoulder dislocation
Videos on Shoulder dislocation
FDA on Shoulder dislocation
CDC on Shoulder dislocation
Shoulder dislocation in the news
Blogs on Shoulder dislocation
Directions to Hospitals Treating Shoulder dislocation
Risk calculators and risk factors for Shoulder dislocation

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Overview

A dislocated shoulder is an injury when your upper arm bone pops out of the cup-shaped socket attached to your shoulder blade. This is not to be confused with a separated shoulder where the ligaments are damaged in the area that connects your upper arm with your shoulder.

What are the symptoms of Shoulder dislocation?

Symptoms of a dislocated shoulder include:

• A deformed or out of place shoulder
• Swelling or discoloration at the site
• Intense pain
• Inability to move the joint

Other symptoms can include numbness, weakness and/or tingling at the joint. This can also be felt in the neck and the arm. Pain can also be increased because of muscle spasms due to the displacement

What causes Shoulder dislocation?

The shoulder is the easiest to dislocate because of its ability to move in many directions. It can be dislocated forward, backward, downward, completely or partially. The usual cause for dislocation is a strong force to the shoulder that pulls the bone out of the socket. Extreme rotation of the shoulder joint can pop the bone out of place. Other common reasons include:

• Sports injuries: Contact sports, like football and hockey, are more likely to have shoulder dislocations, but sports that include falling, like gymnastics or volleyball, also have a chance for shoulder dislocation.

• Trauma: A blow to the shoulder from getting hit or falling down from a motorcycle accident is a common source of shoulder dislocation.

• Falling: Falling from a ladder or rung and trying to break your fall with your hand can cause dislocation.

Who is at highest risk?

• Males: Men are at a higher risk then females.

• Teens or 20s: People in this age group are usually more physically active, which can increase risk for injury.

Diagnosis

Other than a doctor examining your shoulder, there are tests that your doctor may want:

• X-ray: This uses x-rays to examine your shoulder and look for dislocation, broken bones and damage to the shoulder joint.

• MRI: MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging and it uses a magnetic field to make images of your body. Doctors can look at the tissue around the joint to look for damage.

• EMG: EMG stands for Electromyography. The test measures the electical discharges that your muscles give off. The data helps doctors evaluate the nerve damage from should dislocations

When to seek urgent medical care?

If you have the symptoms and believe that you have a dislocated shoulder get medical attention as soon as possible.

Where to find medical care for Shoulder dislocation?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Shoulder dislocation