Your shoulder is the most commonly dislocated large joint in your body, and that’s for good reason. Not only do we tend to put a lot of strain on our arms and shoulders, but your shoulder is much more mobile than other large joints like your knee or hip. This increased mobility comes with a price tag – decreased stability, meaning it takes less force for the joint to become dislocated.
Depending on the force pattern that is placed on your shoulder, you may experience a different type of dislocation compared to someone else. In today’s blog, we explore the three types of shoulder dislocations, and we explain how Dr. Holloway can help address your shoulder dislocation.
The 3 Types Of Shoulder Dislocations
Here’s a look at the three types of classifications for shoulder dislocations:
- Anterior (Forward) Dislocation – An anterior dislocation is far and away the most common type of shoulder dislocation, accounting for roughly 95 percent of all shoulder dislocations. This type of injury occurs when the head of the humerus is moved forward, in front of the socket area of the joint (glenoid). This typically develops when trauma is absorbed with the arms in an outstretched position, or as a result of repetitive strain and overuse.
- Posterior (Behind) Dislocation – A posterior dislocation happens when the head of the arm bone ends up moving behind and above the glenoid. It only occurs in 2-4% of dislocations, and tends to be the result of seizures or electrical shock.
- Inferior (Bottom) Dislocation – This rare type of dislocation accounts for one percent or less of all shoulder dislocations, and it happens when the humerus is pushed down and out of the socket towards the armpit. This requires an extreme downward force on the shoulder and arm, and may be seen after automobile, motorcycle or bicycle accidents.
Treating Shoulder Dislocations
Dislocations are typically managed in two phases, regardless of what type of dislocation you suffered above. The first phase will involve resetting the ball back into the socket joint. This is known as a closed reduction. If you are at a clinic or being tended to by medical personnel in the field, medications may be given to help ease the pain and relax the soft tissues in the area, although these medications are not necessary. Then, the medical professional will carefully position you so that they can manipulate your arm in order to get the humerus to connect back into the glenoid. This can be accomplished in a manner of seconds once the patient is in the correct position and the trained professional applies the right type of direction to the shoulder joint. Most patients notice an immediate reduction or near complete relief of their shoulder discomfort once the shoulder has been relocated.
The second phase of treatment involves protecting the area from additional trauma before gradually working to strengthen the tissues that were damaged by the force of the dislocation. It’s likely that you will spend some time in a sling to help the area heal before you’ll begin weeks of physical therapy. Slowly but surely, these exercises will strengthen your ligaments, tendons and muscles in the area that support your shoulder joint, and this will help stabilize the humeral head, greatly decreasing your likelihood that a subsequent dislocation will occur. Future dislocations are much more common unless you pursue proactive rehab therapy with PT and strength training exercises, so don’t assume that rest alone will get you back to full health.
Most patients can make a full recovery and get back to normal activities within 8-12 weeks, but return to high-level athletics could take 3-6 months or longer depending on your dislocation and the associated damage. We’re confident that we can help you hit the shorter end of these targets, so if you’re dealing with shoulder pain or the fallout from a dislocation, reach out to Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
