How is a dislocated shoulder treated?

How is a dislocated shoulder treated?

If a shoulder dislocation is diagnosed, the doctor will carefully place the arm bone back into the shoulder socket and into the correct alignment, a process called “closed reduction.” It’s closed because it doesn’t require surgery.

• If spasms haven’t started, the patient may not need pain medication. The doctor might sedate the patient and use a numbing agent for the shoulder. Once the shoulder is back in place, any severe pain stops almost immediately. The doctor will order another X-ray to make sure the reduction was successful.
• You may have to wear a splint or sling for at least a week to promote healing and minimize pain. The doctor may recommend icing the injured shoulder 3 or 4 times a day. You may need to do light exercises so your shoulder doesn’t tighten or freeze. After a few weeks, the injured shoulder will usually function normally again.
• About a week after the injury, the doctor will send the patient to an orthopedist, or bone specialist, who will check the shoulder’s bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. After the shoulder heals, a physical therapist assigns exercises to stretch the shoulder and restore mobility. Later, the therapist adds exercises that strengthen the shoulder muscles and ligaments. This rehabilitation helps prevent future shoulder dislocations.

Check with the doctor before resuming activities – including sports, gardening, heavy-lifting or reaching above the shoulder – that would stress the shoulder.