If you have recently suffered an injury in which you dislocated your shoulder, or you play sports in which dislocations are common, you may find yourself wondering what will happen next. Dislocated shoulders, like any other major injury must be treated and dealt with properly. Get to know some of the important facts to keep in mind when you have a dislocated shoulder. Then, you can be better prepared to deal with the situation if or when it happens to you.
You Should Not Try to Pop It Back In Yourself
If you have seen movies or television shows in which so-called tough characters pop their dislocated joints back into place and continue playing sports or fighting immediately afterward, you may think that dealing with a dislocation is something you can and should do on your own. However, this is not the case.
It is dangerous to try to fix a dislocated joint like the shoulder on your own. There are several factors at play inside the shoulder joint that need to be assessed and dealt with. Also, immediately after a dislocation is fixed, the joint needs time to heal and rest which means returning to whatever activity caused the dislocation right away is out of the question.
Do not try to pop your shoulder back into place yourself. You should wait and allow an orthopedic doctor or surgeon deal with it. They can ensure that your shoulder gets reset properly and that the pain involved in resetting the joint is minimal.
You Will Need to Wear a Sling for a While
After your shoulder is back into place, you will need to wear a sling for a week or more to allow the joint time to heal and reattach itself. Ligaments in the shoulder may have been torn, and they need time to heal. Immobilizing the shoulder joint is key to this healing process.
Do not try to rush this process or remove the sling early. This will only cause further damage to the shoulder joint. This damage could be permanent.
You May Be Prone to Future Dislocations
Once the shoulder has been dislocated, there is a chance that you will be more prone to dislocations in the future. Because of this, you need to be careful to protect and strengthen the shoulder as much as possible to prevent re-injury.
Multiple Dislocations May Be Cause for Surgery
If you do end up experiencing multiple dislocations in the same shoulder, you may need to see an orthopedic surgeon to help you deal with the problem. Surgery can repair damage to the shoulder that may not be healing properly on its own. The surgeon can tighten the tendons and ligaments in your shoulder joint that are either torn or stretched from the dislocations.
Now that you know some of the important facts about dislocated shoulders, you can be sure you seek out an orthopedic doctor immediately if you have suffered such an injury.
