The shoulder is a a ball-and-socket joint, which means that the head of the arm bone (also known as the humerus) sits in a cup shaped area that is lined with cartilage. This type of joint provides the maximum range of motion. Unfortunately, ball-and-socket joints can also be less stable than other kinds of joints. Sometimes the head of the humerus will get knocked out of the joint in the direction of your spine, leading to a posterior shoulder dislocation.
Step 1
Immobilize the arm. Make a sling or a splint that will help hold the arm in place and keep the shoulder from moving or slipping. This will help prevent any additional damage to the nerves, tendons, muscles, ligaments, bones and blood vessels.
Step 2
Apply ice. Get an ice pack or make one by placing ice in a plastic bag and then wrapping the bag in paper towel (to help avoid frostbite). Ice will help relieve the pain and reduce the swelling, which will make it easier to get the shoulder back in place later.
Step 3
Get an X-ray. An X-ray of the shoulder will let a doctor look at the dislocated shoulder. This lets the doctor confirm that the shoulder was dislocated posteriorly and will also show any broken bones or other parts of the shoulder with structural damage.
Step 4
Have a trained medical professional do a shoulder reduction. A shoulder reduction is the clinical term for getting the arm bone (the humerus) back in the shoulder socket. The most common kind of reduction is called a closed reduction. With a closed reduction, a doctor will try to gently move your arm and shoulder to get your arm back in the joint. Your doctor may give you a sedative or muscle relaxant to ease the process and diminish your pain. If this isn't possible, an open reduction will be done. With this procedure, a surgeon will make an incision to gain access to your shoulder joint and then put the joint back together.
Step 5
Rest your shoulder. After your arm has been put back in your socket, your shoulder will still hurt and be weak. Avoid reaching over your head with your injured arm or doing any heavy lifting. Your doctor may give you a sling to wear to help rest your shoulder.
Step 6
Do exercises to maintain your shoulder's range of motion. After a couple of days you should start to do some gentle exercises and stretches of your shoulder joint to keep it from getting stiff. Your doctor or physical therapist will give you instructions as to what exercises to do and hof often they should be done.
Tips and Warnings
- Get medical attention as soon as possible. Not only can a dislocated shoulder cause serious muscle, nerve, and blood vessel damage, the longer you wait to have your shoulder reduced the harder it will be.
