Reclaim Mobility After An Accident

You fell or otherwise got in an accident and gave your shoulder a shock, but you are unsure whether it is merely bruised or actually dislocated. The complete command of your hands, arms, and shoulders is important to your ability to perform everyday tasks and activities. You did not leave your home this morning with the knowledge an accident would occur, but now you find yourself in pain and unsure where to go from here. Rather than sit with your pain and allow your condition to exacerbate itself over time, take a trip to your local orthopaedic doctor and allow them to examine you. There are a number of easy-to-spot signs that may indicate a dislocated shoulder, and in order to fully understand when to go to the doctor, you must arm yourself with the knowledge needed to spot them.

You Can See It

Although this is not necessarily true of all dislocation incidents, you may notice your arm is visibly deformed or hanging lower than it should. Your shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint, and much like the joints of a Barbie doll, it can rotate in nearly any direction with ease. If your arm visibly sank after your accident and movement is reduced or completely removed, you are likely dealing with a dislocation.

Swelling or Bruising

With or without the most obvious symptom, you are likely to see swelling or bruising around the skin of your shoulder. This is due to the trauma the surrounding tissue experienced at the time of dislocation. Significant shoulder dislocation symptoms and treatment are hard to deal with alone, but usually easy to fix. Swelling and bruising on their own are not immediate indicators of a dislocation, but you should immediately visit an orthopaedic doctor for your safety.

Chronic Dislocation

Because the shoulder joint can move in so many directions and must do so in order to perform basic daily functions, it can often be subject to chronic dislocation. Shoulder instability is a painful occurrence brought on when the arm bone is forced out of the shoulder socket. Unfortunately, you can experience this even if you are not in an accident. Overuse is more than enough to throw a shoulder bone out of its socket, and if the incident has occurred once before, it is likely to occur again.

Treatment Options

Treatment options range from a simple manoeuvre designed to guide your bone back into its socket, to surgery and even physical therapy. The complexity of your treatment is entirely dependent on the severity of your injury. If you managed to avoid surgery but still incurred a moderate level of damage to your joint and the surrounding tissue, your doctor may immobilize your arm for a number of days or weeks. The longer you wait to apply a sling, the longer the sling is likely to remain on your arm. In the case of chronic dislocation due to a weak shoulder joint or ligaments, surgery may be required. Your shoulder joint may even be in need of a replacement. No matter what brought you to the doctor, a dislocation is serious and should be treated immediately.