Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentRecover and RehabComplicationsPrevention

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Recover and Rehab

Complications

Prevention

The shoulder—a ball-and-socket joint—is the most mobile joint in the body. However, that also means it is easily injured. A dislocated shoulder is an injury that causes the ball at the end of the humerus (upper arm bone) to push out of the socket of the scapula (shoulder blade).

This injury typically results from trauma, such as a fall, car accident, or sports injury. Sports-related shoulder dislocations are most common among adolescents and young adults, while fall-related shoulder dislocations occur more often in older adults.

This article discusses shoulder dislocations, including types, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Types of Dislocated Shoulders

Not all dislocated shoulders are the same; there are various types.

Dislocations can also occur in different directions.

When to Go to the Emergency RoomIf you suspect that you dislocated your shoulder, go to the emergency room—even if you think the ball of your shoulder has popped back into place. In addition to damaging shoulder ligaments, you could have additional injuries to your bones, tendons, nerves, or blood vessels that can cause severe complications if left untreated.

When to Go to the Emergency Room

If you suspect that you dislocated your shoulder, go to the emergency room—even if you think the ball of your shoulder has popped back into place. In addition to damaging shoulder ligaments, you could have additional injuries to your bones, tendons, nerves, or blood vessels that can cause severe complications if left untreated.

Dislocated Shoulder Symptoms

Shoulder dislocation is typically a very painful injury and is sometimes obvious to identify to the lay observer. Other symptoms of shoulder dislocation can include:

What Causes a Dislocated Shoulder?

The most common cause of dislocated shoulder is trauma, such as with impact from a fall, car accident, or sports-related injury.

In younger adults, shoulder dislocations are more common in males and result from sports-related incidents. In older adults, females experience more shoulder dislocations, and they are usually from a fall.

Shoulder dislocations also have less common causes, including electrical shock (like lightning strikes) and seizures. These situations cause abnormal muscle contractions that pull the ball out of the socket.

Risk Factors

Once you have dislocated your shoulder, the risk of recurrence significantly increases.The ligaments that hold bones together in the shoulder joint get stretched every time the ball moves out of place. These structures are not elastic, so they will not return to their original length.

When the ligaments can’t secure the shoulder joint, the surrounding muscles must work extra hard to stabilize the shoulder against external forces. If these muscles are weak, the risk further increases.

How Are Shoulder Dislocations Diagnosed?

Healthcare providers begin the diagnostic process with a physical examination and useX-raysor other imaging to diagnose a dislocated shoulder officially.

Computed tomography(CT scan) can determine whether the bone itself has been damaged, andmagnetic resonance imaging(MRI) can be helpful for assessing damage to ligaments and tendons that can occur with shoulder dislocation.

How Dislocated Shoulders Are Treated

A healthcare provider’s initialtreatmentfor a dislocated shoulder is maneuvering the ball back into the socket, known as a closed reduction. Only a qualified healthcare provider should do this maneuver.

Home remedies can help reduce pain after a shoulder dislocation. These include:

Physical therapyis common after a shoulder dislocation, especially if it has occurred more than once and you have weak muscles.Treatmentscan include:

Surgery

Severe dislocations might require surgery to repair damaged structures and make the joint stable again. Surgery can include tightening ligaments and repairing the labrum (the layer of tissue that runs around the rim of the socket to provide stability).

Recurrent dislocations can also cause bone loss at the end of the humerus—a condition called aHill-Sachs lesion. In these cases, surgery might also include grafting bone to build it back up.

Physical therapy is an important part of the recovery process after surgery for a dislocated shoulder.

Dislocated Shoulder Recovery Time and Rehabilitation

Recovery time after shoulder dislocation depends on several factors, such as the severity of your injury, whether it was also dislocated in the past, and the type of activities you participate in.

If this is your first dislocation and you did not sustain any additional injuries, your healthcare provider might advise you to rest for a few weeks in a sling and gradually return to your normal daily activities within your pain tolerance.

If you have decreased range of motion and strength, a healthcare provider may recommend rehabilitation exercises to help you regain the use of your arm. It’s best to do these exercises under the instruction of a physical therapist, who can make sure you take proper precautions based on the direction of your dislocation and other injuries.

Your range of motion and strength should recover within four to six weeks after an uncomplicated shoulder dislocation. After surgery, physical therapy can last for several months.

However, you can take up to 12 months after injury to feel back to normal.

What Are the Complications of a Dislocated Shoulder?

Shoulder dislocations can lead to further complications. These can include:

Can You Prevent a Dislocated Shoulder?

Because trauma and accidents are the primary cause of shoulder dislocation, it’s nearly impossible to prevent this injury. However, there are things you can do to keep your shoulder joint strong and protected during high-risk activities, including the following:

Summary

Shoulder dislocations are injuries that cause the ball of the upper arm bone to come out of the socket of the shoulder joint. This painful injury most commonly occurs from trauma, such as a car accident, sports injury, or a fall. Healthcare providers primarily diagnose this injury using X-rays.

7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Patrick CM, Snowden J, Eckhoff MD, Green CK, Scanaliato JP, Dunn JC, Parnes N.Epidemiology of shoulder dislocations presenting to United States emergency departments: an updated ten-year study.World J Orthop. 2023 Sep 18;14(9):690-697. doi:10.5312/wjo.v14.i9.690American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Dislocated shoulder.National Library of Medicine.Dislocated shoulder.Kauta N, Porter J, Jusabani MA, Swanepoel S.First-time traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation: Approach for the primary health care physician.S Afr Fam Pract(2004). 2023 Jun 26;65(1):e1-e7. doi: 10.4102/safp.v65i1.5744American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Shoulder trauma (fractures and dislocations).Harada Y, Iwahori Y, Kajita Y, Saito Y, Takahashi R, Deie M.Secondary frozen shoulder after traumatic anterior shoulder instability.JSES Int. 2019;4(1):72-76. doi:10.1016/j.jses.2019.10.100Bengtsson V, Berglund L, Aasa U.Narrative review of injuries in powerlifting with special reference to their association to the squat, bench press and deadlift.BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2018 Jul 17;4(1):e000382. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000382

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Patrick CM, Snowden J, Eckhoff MD, Green CK, Scanaliato JP, Dunn JC, Parnes N.Epidemiology of shoulder dislocations presenting to United States emergency departments: an updated ten-year study.World J Orthop. 2023 Sep 18;14(9):690-697. doi:10.5312/wjo.v14.i9.690American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Dislocated shoulder.National Library of Medicine.Dislocated shoulder.Kauta N, Porter J, Jusabani MA, Swanepoel S.First-time traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation: Approach for the primary health care physician.S Afr Fam Pract(2004). 2023 Jun 26;65(1):e1-e7. doi: 10.4102/safp.v65i1.5744American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Shoulder trauma (fractures and dislocations).Harada Y, Iwahori Y, Kajita Y, Saito Y, Takahashi R, Deie M.Secondary frozen shoulder after traumatic anterior shoulder instability.JSES Int. 2019;4(1):72-76. doi:10.1016/j.jses.2019.10.100Bengtsson V, Berglund L, Aasa U.Narrative review of injuries in powerlifting with special reference to their association to the squat, bench press and deadlift.BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2018 Jul 17;4(1):e000382. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000382

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Patrick CM, Snowden J, Eckhoff MD, Green CK, Scanaliato JP, Dunn JC, Parnes N.Epidemiology of shoulder dislocations presenting to United States emergency departments: an updated ten-year study.World J Orthop. 2023 Sep 18;14(9):690-697. doi:10.5312/wjo.v14.i9.690American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Dislocated shoulder.National Library of Medicine.Dislocated shoulder.Kauta N, Porter J, Jusabani MA, Swanepoel S.First-time traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation: Approach for the primary health care physician.S Afr Fam Pract(2004). 2023 Jun 26;65(1):e1-e7. doi: 10.4102/safp.v65i1.5744American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Shoulder trauma (fractures and dislocations).Harada Y, Iwahori Y, Kajita Y, Saito Y, Takahashi R, Deie M.Secondary frozen shoulder after traumatic anterior shoulder instability.JSES Int. 2019;4(1):72-76. doi:10.1016/j.jses.2019.10.100Bengtsson V, Berglund L, Aasa U.Narrative review of injuries in powerlifting with special reference to their association to the squat, bench press and deadlift.BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2018 Jul 17;4(1):e000382. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000382

Patrick CM, Snowden J, Eckhoff MD, Green CK, Scanaliato JP, Dunn JC, Parnes N.Epidemiology of shoulder dislocations presenting to United States emergency departments: an updated ten-year study.World J Orthop. 2023 Sep 18;14(9):690-697. doi:10.5312/wjo.v14.i9.690

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Dislocated shoulder.

National Library of Medicine.Dislocated shoulder.

Kauta N, Porter J, Jusabani MA, Swanepoel S.First-time traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation: Approach for the primary health care physician.S Afr Fam Pract(2004). 2023 Jun 26;65(1):e1-e7. doi: 10.4102/safp.v65i1.5744

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Shoulder trauma (fractures and dislocations).

Harada Y, Iwahori Y, Kajita Y, Saito Y, Takahashi R, Deie M.Secondary frozen shoulder after traumatic anterior shoulder instability.JSES Int. 2019;4(1):72-76. doi:10.1016/j.jses.2019.10.100

Bengtsson V, Berglund L, Aasa U.Narrative review of injuries in powerlifting with special reference to their association to the squat, bench press and deadlift.BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2018 Jul 17;4(1):e000382. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000382

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