Shoulder Dislocation
If your shoulder is wrenched upward and backward, you may dislocate it out of its socket. This condition is both painful and incapacitating. The force required is often that of a fall or a collision with another person or object (both of which can occur during many sports).

Most shoulder dislocations happen at the lower front of the shoulder, because of the particular anatomy of the shoulder joint. The bones of the shoulder are the socket of the shoulder blade (scapula) and the ball at the upper end of the arm bone (humerus). The socket on the shoulder blade is fairly shallow, but a lip or rim of cartilage makes it deeper. The joint is supported on all sides by ligaments called the joint capsule, and the whole thing is covered by the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is made up of four tendons attached to muscles that start on the scapula and end on the upper humerus. They reinforce the shoulder joint from above, in front, and in back, which makes the weakest point in the rotator cuff in the lower front.

Shoulder Dislocation Treatment

Self-Care at Home

• If a sling is not available, rig one by tying a long piece of cloth in a circle (a bed sheet or towel may do nicely).
   
• A pillow placed between the arm and body may also help support the injured shoulder.
   
• Because an empty stomach is best during treatment, the patient should not eat more than ice chips before being examined by a doctor.
  
  

When to Seek Medical Care
Many doctors' offices are not equipped to care for a shoulder dislocation. You may want to call your doctor or healthcare provider's office to seek advice in this regard and ask which hospital is best for treatment.

If you strongly suspect you or someone you know has a shoulder dislocation, seek emergency care. Waiting several hours before seeking treatment could result in unnecessary suffering and further damage to tendons, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves.

Medical Treatment

• Treatment may include medications to lessen pain. After a dislocation is confirmed by x-ray, many people require medicine to lessen pain and help relax the surrounding muscles during the reduction procedure (relocating the joint to its healthy alignment). The patient may require a mild sedative as well to allow the body to relax. Most people can have their dislocated shoulder relocated in the emergency department, but a few difficult cases require a general anesthetic in an operating room.
   

• Many successful techniques for relocating a dislocated shoulder are available. A doctor may need to try more than one technique on the patient before a method is found that suits the particular dislocation. The technique may also vary if the dislocation is not the usual inferior type.
   

• After the patient's shoulder is back in place, they will be sent home in a sling or shoulder immobilizer (a sling-like device that attaches to the body to lessen movement at the shoulder joint). A prescription pain reliever is often needed to control pain.