Shoulder issues typically develop in one of two ways. There are the acute injuries caused by a singular incident, and there are conditions that develop slowly over a number of years due to natural aging and repetitive stress. Today, we want to take a closer look at the first type of injury, which are the ones caused by acute trauma.
Our shoulders are incredibly flexible and mobile, which means that they can be in a lot of different positions when they are subjected to an acute moment of stress. They can be outstretched as you brace yourself during a fall, they can be in the process of lifting a heavy object and they can be overstressed during a twisting motion. All of these varying stress patterns can lead to different types of injuries, and in today’s blog, we want to spotlight five common types of shoulder injuries that can occur during a moment of high impact stress.
High Energy Shoulder Injuries
If you’re dealing with severe discomfort after your shoulder has been subjected to an acute moment of stress, you may have suffered one of these five high impact shoulder injuries.
- Shoulder Dislocation– Your shoulder is considered a ball and socket joint. The humeral head forms the ball portion, and it resides within the socket area, known as the glenoid. If the humeral head dislodges from this socket, you’ve suffered a dislocation. This type of injury is common when the shoulder is subjected to a significant backwards force while you have an outstretched arm. Falling onto an outstretched arm is the easiest way to understand the forces needed to dislocate the humeral head from the glenoid. Oftentimes the shoulder can be popped back into place without professional intervention, but that doesn’t mean further treatment isn’t warranted. Strength training and physical therapy are needed to address the soft tissues that support the shoulder joint so that the likelihood of subsequent dislocations is reduced.
- Rotator Cuff Tears– Your rotator cuff is a collection of muscles and tendons that hold your shoulder joint in place. If one or more of these soft tissues tear, you may develop shoulder instability or begin to feel uncomfortable symptoms during certain movements. Any abrupt trauma to the shoulder area can cause these tissues to tear. A fall with an outstretched arm, repetitive forceful motions during athletics, like pitching or golfing, or overloading the area when lifting a heavy object can all lead to rotator cuff tears. Rotator cuff tears also tend to become more common as a person gets older, as their shoulders have been subjected to more stress over the years, and natural degeneration has begun to take its toll.
- Separated Shoulder– A separated shoulder occurs when the ligaments that connect the collarbone to the shoulder are injured or torn. Depending on the extent of the damage, these ligaments may heal with the help of conservative techniques like physical therapy and gentle exercise, or surgical intervention to reconnect the ligament may be warranted. These injuries tend to occur as a result of a direct blow or an abrupt change in motion, so car collisions, bicycle accidents or direct trauma during athletics can all lead to a separated shoulder.
- Labral Tear– A labral tear involves an injury to the cartilage rim around the shoulder socket. This cartilage rim helps to facilitate smooth shoulder movement, so damage to the labrum can lead to painful or restricted shoulder movement. It’s also common to hear an audible clicking, crunching, grinding or popping sound as you move your shoulder with a damaged labrum. Like all the other previously listed soft tissue shoulder injuries, labral tears can occur during falls onto outstretched arms or a similar high energy trauma to the region. A labral tear can also develop due to overstress and repetitive motion, again putting certain athletes at risk.
- Clavicle Fracture – A clavicle fracture, also known as a collarbone fracture, is the last type of high energy shoulder injury we’ll feature here. Although the clavicle is a relatively strong bone, it is not well protected when a great force is exerted onto the shoulder region, which can cause a fracture to form. Direct trauma to the bone is the most common reason this injury develops, so contact during athletics or a fall off a bike or while on skis can lead to a collarbone fracture. The good news is that these fractures tend to have very good healing rates without the need for surgery, so rest, physical therapy and a gradual reintroduction to activities can typically lead to a full recovery over the course of a couple of months.
Hopefully you never have to deal with any of these injuries, but know that Dr. Holloway will be here for you in your time of need should they occur. For more information, or for help treating a different shoulder issue, reach out to Dr. Holloway’s office today at (865) 410-7887.
