Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSubluxation vs. DislocationSubluxation PainWhen to Visit a ProviderHealingComplicationsHealing TimelineLikelihood of Repeat Injury
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Subluxation vs. Dislocation
Subluxation Pain
When to Visit a Provider
Healing
Complications
Healing Timeline
Likelihood of Repeat Injury
Shoulder subluxationis a partially dislocated shoulder. The issue occurs when the end (head) of the humerus bone partially shifts out of the glenoid fossa (socket) portion of the shoulder joint. While subluxation may result from a traumatic injury, it can also happen because of repetitive overhead movements or weakness in the surrounding shoulder muscles.
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Shoulder Subluxation: Dislocation or Something Else?
Your shoulder joint is the area where the circular end (called the head) ofthe humerus boneand the socket-shaped glenoid fossa connect.
Similar to a golf ball resting on a golf tee, only a small portion of the humeral head makes contact with the glenoid fossa at any time. This, coupled with the fact that the shoulder is extremely mobile, makes the joint more prone to episodes of instability.
Occasionally, the humeral head comes out of or separates from the glenoid socket. If it’s a partial separation, it is referred to as a shouldersubluxation. A complete separation is called ashoulder dislocation.
Both subluxations and dislocations can also damage your surrounding shoulder structures, including:
Subluxation Risk FactorsRisk factors for a shoulder subluxation include prior shoulder dislocation, trauma (fall or car accident), stroke, seizure, electrocution, history of hypermobility or ligamentous laxity, and cerebral palsy.
Subluxation Risk Factors
Risk factors for a shoulder subluxation include prior shoulder dislocation, trauma (fall or car accident), stroke, seizure, electrocution, history of hypermobility or ligamentous laxity, and cerebral palsy.
Describing Shoulder Subluxation Pain
While shoulder dislocations are typically sudden and obvious, subluxations can be more subtle and less painful. This is because the shoulder may spontaneously reduce or “pop back into place” shortly after the injury occurs. As a result, it is possible for a shoulder to feel relatively normal shortly after a subluxation.
However, more severe cases could cause the following symptoms:
The Sound of a SubluxationSubluxation injuries do not usually make an audible noise when they occur. Shoulder dislocations, however, sometimes cause a popping sound during the injury.
The Sound of a Subluxation
Subluxation injuries do not usually make an audible noise when they occur. Shoulder dislocations, however, sometimes cause a popping sound during the injury.
After Stroke
People who have had a stroke are much more likely to experience a shoulder subluxation than the average person. The American Heart Association estimates that up to 84% of people who have a stroke will develop subluxation-related shoulder pain.
This is because strokes often cause weakness in the rotator cuff muscles and reduce their ability to stabilize the shoulder. As a result, the force of gravity becomes too strong and the joint is pulled downward and out of place.
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A healthcare provider will typically perform a physical examination and may order imaging to determine the root cause of the instability. Failure to see a provider may result in damage to the joint, as repeated subluxations can cause the joint’s cartilage to deteriorate over time.
Reducing a Subluxation
What Shoulder Subluxation Healing Involves
After a shoulder subluxation, various interventions may be available to help you heal. Some of the most common treatments include:
Closed Reduction
While most subluxations self-reduce, occasionally, your shoulder will remain “out of place” after an episode of instability. In these cases, the joint must be reduced in the emergency room.
A healthcare provider will typically administer sedatives or medication designed to relax you before gently guiding the joint back into normal alignment.
Pain Management Strategies
Putting an ice pack on the injured area can help reduce pain and swelling in the arm. Ice can be applied for 10 to 15 minutes at a time and may be used three to four times per day.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen) may also be recommended to help combat any inflammation.
A sling is also usually used for several days after the injury to help alleviate the pain.
Exercise
Gentle exercisescan be performed at home to help you heal from a shoulder subluxation. For example, lying on your back and holding a cane or broomstick in your hands with your palms down, slowly guide your arms into a mild overhead stretch.
Isometric exercisesare also useful for reactivating the muscles that support the shoulder joint. This technique involves pressing your arm into a firm surface in various planes of motion to slightly turn on the rotator cuff muscles.
Physical Therapy
As you return to normal functioning, your physical therapist can also create a strengthening regimen designed to reduce the chances of future subluxations.
Surgery
In some situations, conservative interventions fail, and surgery may be needed to help you heal from your subluxation.These proceduresare usually performed to secure the humeral head in the glenoid fossa and prevent further episodes of instability.
Secondary Shoulder Subluxation Complications
One of the most common potential complications after a subluxation is chronic shoulder instability. This elevated risk may exist for several reasons, including:
In addition, other potential side effects of recurrent shoulder subluxation include:
Shoulder Subluxation Healing Timeline
When healing from a subluxation, many healthcare providers will immobilize you in a sling for one to two weeks. This is done to allow pain levels to diminish and inflammation to subside. After this period, range-of-motion exercises are usually initiated. This is often the point when people are referred to physical therapy for more structured rehabilitation.
Depending on the severity of the subluxation, regaining the full range of motion in your injured shoulder may take several weeks. When this goal is achieved, resistance exercises are typically allowed. This is also when many of your daily tasks (like dressing, bathing, and light housework) will start to feel more normal again.
When your healthcare provider feels your strength is sufficient, they typically initiate sports-specific exercises if you are engaged in sports.
A full recovery from a subluxation may take months, although each person’s case is unique.
People who experience shoulder subluxation are much more likely to have repeat episodes. One review found that 37.5% of people who treated their instability without surgery experienced a recurrent episode later on.
This recurrence rate is significantly lower in people who undergo surgery for their instability (5% to 10%, depending on the procedure performed). Worth noting, however, is that the risk of a surgical complication (most commonly nerve injury) is estimated to be around 30%.
While a shoulder can sublux in many ways, 95% of cases happen in the forward (anterior) direction. Moving your arm out to the side (abduction) and rotating it away from the body (external rotation) tends to irritate this type of injury.
Summary
Subluxation is another word for a partially dislocated shoulder. This differs from a dislocation, which occurs when the shoulder comes completely out of place.
Conservative treatments for a subluxation include the use of a sling, pain management strategies, and gentle exercises meant to regain shoulder range of motion and strength. Occasionally, surgery is needed to prevent injury recurrence.
9 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.Massachusetts General Hospital.Shoulder instability.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Shoulder dislocation.University of Florida Health.Dislocated shoulder: symptoms, complications, and treatments.American Heart Association.Shoulder pain.Kaiser Permanente.Shoulder subluxation: rehab exercises.Sofu H, Gürsu S, Koçkara N, Oner A, Issın A, Camurcu Y.Recurrent anterior shoulder instability: review of the literature and current concepts.World J Clin Cases. 2014;2(11):676-82. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v2.i11.676Cutts S, Prempeh M, Drew S.Anterior shoulder dislocation.Annals. 2009;91(1):2-7. doi:10.1308/003588409X359123 Allowing this as it is the best source we could findClifford AL, Hurley E, Doyle TR, Dickens JF, Anakwenze OA, Klifto CS.Treatment of anterior shoulder instability: a comprehensive review.Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online. 2024:S2589514124001002. doi:10.1016/j.jhsg.2024.04.013Michigan Medicine.Shoulder instability.
9 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.Massachusetts General Hospital.Shoulder instability.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Shoulder dislocation.University of Florida Health.Dislocated shoulder: symptoms, complications, and treatments.American Heart Association.Shoulder pain.Kaiser Permanente.Shoulder subluxation: rehab exercises.Sofu H, Gürsu S, Koçkara N, Oner A, Issın A, Camurcu Y.Recurrent anterior shoulder instability: review of the literature and current concepts.World J Clin Cases. 2014;2(11):676-82. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v2.i11.676Cutts S, Prempeh M, Drew S.Anterior shoulder dislocation.Annals. 2009;91(1):2-7. doi:10.1308/003588409X359123 Allowing this as it is the best source we could findClifford AL, Hurley E, Doyle TR, Dickens JF, Anakwenze OA, Klifto CS.Treatment of anterior shoulder instability: a comprehensive review.Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online. 2024:S2589514124001002. doi:10.1016/j.jhsg.2024.04.013Michigan Medicine.Shoulder instability.
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.
Massachusetts General Hospital.Shoulder instability.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Shoulder dislocation.University of Florida Health.Dislocated shoulder: symptoms, complications, and treatments.American Heart Association.Shoulder pain.Kaiser Permanente.Shoulder subluxation: rehab exercises.Sofu H, Gürsu S, Koçkara N, Oner A, Issın A, Camurcu Y.Recurrent anterior shoulder instability: review of the literature and current concepts.World J Clin Cases. 2014;2(11):676-82. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v2.i11.676Cutts S, Prempeh M, Drew S.Anterior shoulder dislocation.Annals. 2009;91(1):2-7. doi:10.1308/003588409X359123 Allowing this as it is the best source we could findClifford AL, Hurley E, Doyle TR, Dickens JF, Anakwenze OA, Klifto CS.Treatment of anterior shoulder instability: a comprehensive review.Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online. 2024:S2589514124001002. doi:10.1016/j.jhsg.2024.04.013Michigan Medicine.Shoulder instability.
Massachusetts General Hospital.Shoulder instability.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Shoulder dislocation.
University of Florida Health.Dislocated shoulder: symptoms, complications, and treatments.
American Heart Association.Shoulder pain.
Kaiser Permanente.Shoulder subluxation: rehab exercises.
Sofu H, Gürsu S, Koçkara N, Oner A, Issın A, Camurcu Y.Recurrent anterior shoulder instability: review of the literature and current concepts.World J Clin Cases. 2014;2(11):676-82. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v2.i11.676
Cutts S, Prempeh M, Drew S.Anterior shoulder dislocation.Annals. 2009;91(1):2-7. doi:10.1308/003588409X359123 Allowing this as it is the best source we could find
Clifford AL, Hurley E, Doyle TR, Dickens JF, Anakwenze OA, Klifto CS.Treatment of anterior shoulder instability: a comprehensive review.Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online. 2024:S2589514124001002. doi:10.1016/j.jhsg.2024.04.013
Michigan Medicine.Shoulder instability.
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