The process of “popping” a dislocated shoulder back into place is called reducing the shoulder. This must be done with great care to avoid damaging tissues, nerves, and blood vessels in and around the shoulder joint.
This article explains the symptoms of this injury and how to attempt to fix a dislocated shoulder on your own in an emergency.
A Complete Overview of a Dislocated Shoulder: From Diagnosis to Rehabilitation
Determining If You Have a Dislocated Shoulder
It’s difficult to be confident that you have a dislocated shoulder. The dislocation can be partial (subluxation) or complete (luxation). As such, signs of this injury may be overt or subtle.
Common symptoms of a shoulder dislocation include:
If you think you may have a dislocated shoulder, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. However, if no medical help is available, you can proceed with trying to reduce the shoulder—albeit with extreme caution.
A dislocated shoulder may lead to potentially serious complications if not treated promptly. These include:Permanent nerve injuryAvascular necrosis(bone death due to impaired blood flow)Loss of joint mobility andrange of motion
A dislocated shoulder may lead to potentially serious complications if not treated promptly. These include:
How to Pop a Shoulder Back Into Place
1) Lie Down and Relax
Reducing a joint is near-impossible if the muscles around the shoulder are tense and seized. Healthcare providers commonly useanti-inflammatory injectionsormuscle relaxantsbefore a reduction to help with this.
Since those options are not available to you, the first and most crucial step in fixing a dislocated shoulder is relaxing as much as possible before the reduction.
Lie on your back in a comfortable position for several minutes, taking long, deep inhalations and exhalations rather than breathing rapidly. (If you’re helping someone who is injured, it often helps to coach them to follow your breathing patterns until they settle down.)
Do not proceed if there is any screaming, panic, or chaos. Instead, create a calm environment, removing anyone causing undue stress, anxiety, or agitation.
2) Reach Over Your Head
To begin, slowly extend the injured arm out to the side, raising the arm gently and bending the elbow so that the palm touches the top of the head.
Gently rotate the hand behind the head.
Gradually move the hand down toward the nape of the neck (as if trying to scratch your neck).
4) Reach For Your Opposite Shoulder
Next, move the hand toward the opposite shoulder. As you do this, the shoulder should pop back into place. If it does, you should feel immediate relief. Again, do not push, pull, or tug the arm.
If the joint doesn’t pop back instantly, take several moments to relax, breathe in slowly and deeply, and try again. When fully relaxed, the chances of a successful reduction are good.
If reduction efforts do not work, do not panic or force the joint into place. There could be other problems, such as afractureorruptured connective tissues,interfering with the reduction.
5) Carefully Position Your Arm and Get Medical Attention
When the shoulder is back in position, keep the upper arm to the side of the body. Then, fold the forearm across the abdomen in a 90-degree position.
If it is comfortable, place a towel or cloth under the injured forearm to create a sling, tying the ends over the opposite shoulder (one end to the front and one end to the back).
Seek medical assistance immediately.
Who Needs to Know How to Fix a Dislocated Shoulder?
If you have read this far, you have likely already found yourself with a potentially dislocated shoulder.
While knowing how to fix a shoulder dislocation is not knowledge that everyone really needs to know in advance, it is particularly helpful for those who engage in activities in remote areas of wilderness where help could be days away.
This might include:
So you are prepared should this happen again, consider printing this article out and stowing it with your gear. Or pass it along to someone in your life who might find themselves needing these instructions one day.
WarningYou should not use shoulder self-reduction to avoid medical care or self-treat recurrent dislocations. These situations would instead benefit from aproper evaluationand appropriate treatment interventions.
Warning
You should not use shoulder self-reduction to avoid medical care or self-treat recurrent dislocations. These situations would instead benefit from aproper evaluationand appropriate treatment interventions.
How to Wear a Shoulder Sling
Summary
A shoulder reduction is a medical procedure that you should only attempt on your own when medical care is unavailable (for example, on a hike in a remote area). Relax, reach your arm over your head, touch your hand to the bottom of your neck, reach for the opposite shoulder, and the shoulder should pop back into place.
After you reduce your shoulder, seek follow-up medical attention as soon as you can.
A Word From VerywellSelf-reduction of a shoulder dislocation should only be performed in an emergency situation, as improper technique can lead to further injury. Once a shoulder dislocation has been reduced, seeking medical care is key, as immobilization of the joint and/or prescription anti-inflammatory medications may be needed.—ANITA C. CHANDRASEKARAN, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Self-reduction of a shoulder dislocation should only be performed in an emergency situation, as improper technique can lead to further injury. Once a shoulder dislocation has been reduced, seeking medical care is key, as immobilization of the joint and/or prescription anti-inflammatory medications may be needed.—ANITA C. CHANDRASEKARAN, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Self-reduction of a shoulder dislocation should only be performed in an emergency situation, as improper technique can lead to further injury. Once a shoulder dislocation has been reduced, seeking medical care is key, as immobilization of the joint and/or prescription anti-inflammatory medications may be needed.
—ANITA C. CHANDRASEKARAN, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
5 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.National Health Service UK.Dislocated shoulder.Abrams R, Akbarnia H.Shoulder dislocations overview. In: StatPearls.MedlinePlus.Dislocated shoulder.Alkaduhimi H, van der Linde JA, Flipsen M, van Deurzen DF, van den Bekerom MP.A systematic and technical guide on how to reduce a shoulder dislocation.Turk J Emerg Med. 2016;16(4):155–168. doi:10.1016/j.tjem.2016.09.008Youm T, Takemoto R, Park BK.Acute management of shoulder dislocations.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2014;22(12):761-71. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-22-12-761
5 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.National Health Service UK.Dislocated shoulder.Abrams R, Akbarnia H.Shoulder dislocations overview. In: StatPearls.MedlinePlus.Dislocated shoulder.Alkaduhimi H, van der Linde JA, Flipsen M, van Deurzen DF, van den Bekerom MP.A systematic and technical guide on how to reduce a shoulder dislocation.Turk J Emerg Med. 2016;16(4):155–168. doi:10.1016/j.tjem.2016.09.008Youm T, Takemoto R, Park BK.Acute management of shoulder dislocations.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2014;22(12):761-71. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-22-12-761
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.
National Health Service UK.Dislocated shoulder.Abrams R, Akbarnia H.Shoulder dislocations overview. In: StatPearls.MedlinePlus.Dislocated shoulder.Alkaduhimi H, van der Linde JA, Flipsen M, van Deurzen DF, van den Bekerom MP.A systematic and technical guide on how to reduce a shoulder dislocation.Turk J Emerg Med. 2016;16(4):155–168. doi:10.1016/j.tjem.2016.09.008Youm T, Takemoto R, Park BK.Acute management of shoulder dislocations.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2014;22(12):761-71. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-22-12-761
National Health Service UK.Dislocated shoulder.
Abrams R, Akbarnia H.Shoulder dislocations overview. In: StatPearls.
MedlinePlus.Dislocated shoulder.
Alkaduhimi H, van der Linde JA, Flipsen M, van Deurzen DF, van den Bekerom MP.A systematic and technical guide on how to reduce a shoulder dislocation.Turk J Emerg Med. 2016;16(4):155–168. doi:10.1016/j.tjem.2016.09.008
Youm T, Takemoto R, Park BK.Acute management of shoulder dislocations.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2014;22(12):761-71. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-22-12-761
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