Your shoulder is the most mobile of the large joints in your body. We can move our arms in many more directions than other large joints like our ankles or knees, but in order to account for this mobility, the joint sacrifices stability. Your shoulder is less stable than other large joints, and if underlying issues or a new injury occurs, you may develop shoulder instability.
Shoulder instability typically develops in two different forms – traumatic and multi-directional – and in today’s blog, we’re going to take a closer look at the causes, symptoms and treatment options for patients suffering from multi-directional shoulder instability.
Causes And Symptoms Of Shoulder Instability
Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint, and if the soft tissues that help to keep this ball firmly within the socket can’t effectively do their job, the joint as a whole will become unstable. Oftentimes shoulder instability develops as a result of direct trauma causing injury to these supportive ligaments, like if you fall onto an outstretched arm or suffer direct contact during athletics, and this is oftentimes referred to as traumatic shoulder instability. Multi-directional shoulder instability can be caused by trauma to the shoulder region, but it oftentimes has other underlying factors that influence its onset. Some factors that can lead to multi-directional shoulder instability include:
- Genetics and Bone Formation – Your hip socket is much deeper than your shoulder socket, so the ball joint is much more naturally secured in the hip. If bone defects, genetic differences or other bone-related issues are present in the shoulder that make it more predisposed to movement problems than it already is, multi-directional shoulder instability may be more likely.
- Ligament Loosening – Your joint components are held tightly in place by strong ligaments, but these ligaments can end up weakening as we age. Acute injury, chronic stress, natural degeneration or genetic factors can contribute to ligament loosening and multi-directional shoulder instability.
- Weak Dynamic Stabilizers – Muscle and tendons are considered dynamic stabilizers of the shoulder complex. For example, rotator cuff muscles help to support a stabilized shoulder joint, and if these muscles are injured, weakened or damaged as a result of direct trauma, repetitive stress or natural aging, you may be at a heightened risk for multi-directional shoulder instability.
Symptoms of multi-directional shoulder instability are most noticeable during activities that involve significant shoulder movement and stress, like when you’re reaching your arms forward or lifting them above your head. You may experience any of the following symptoms: pain, discomfort, a feeling of weakness or looseness, a popping or grinding sensation and decreased range of shoulder motion. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, consider reaching out to a shoulder specialist in your area.
