Acute Shoulder Dislocation – Types, Causes & Treatment

Shoulder joint with its higher range of motion is the most mobile joint in the human body, naturally making it most vulnerable to injuries compared to any other joint. Playing a crucial role in all sports activities, it can be injured in as many ways as it can turn and acute shoulder dislocation is the most common type of shoulder injury we successfully treat Joints & Sports Clinic in Surat.

What is Shoulder Dislocation?


The ball of the humerus (upper arm) directly fits into the cup-shaped socket of the shoulder blade to form the ball-and-socket joint of the shoulder. Shoulder dislocation is said to happen when the ball of the upper arm sways hard and dislocated from its intended location.

The ball can be partially or completely out of the socket depending upon the intensity of the injury. Both types of dislocations can destabilize the shoulder causing unsteadiness and pain. This partial dislocation of the shoulder is termed as an acute shoulder dislocation.

Shoulder pain, numbness, weakness, limited mobility and range of motion, shoulder abrasions, bruising or swellings at the site of injury are common symptoms of shoulder dislocation.

Common Causes of Shoulder Dislocation:


Shoulder dislocation happens when the arm is twisted or pulled at an abnormal force in upward, outward or backward directions. This can happen due to a direct severe blow to the shoulder, seizure, electric shock or even when an individual falls on an outstretched arm.

In few cases, the injury need not be severe or abnormal too: people with looser shoulder ligaments can develop passive shoulder instability during intensive sports like football, basketball, swimming or cricket increasing their chances of shoulder dislocation over time.

The ball and socket can fall out of position and alignment from any direction. So shoulder dislocation can be further classified into three types based on the direction of the dislocation:

  1. Anterior dislocation: Anterior dislocation as the name suggest happens when the ball of the shoulder joint displaces toward the front of the body. This is the most common type of shoulder dislocation that is treated by Dr. Chirag Patel at his Joints and Sports Clinic is Surat accounting for 80% of the cases. Commonly caused by sports-related activities in young people and slip and fall on outstretched arm among the older adults.
  2. Posterior dislocation: The top of the upper arm is dislocated towards the back of the body. Commonly cause due to electric shock, seizures or a traumatic blow to the front shoulder.
  3. Inferior dislocation: This rare type of dislocation happens when the top of the upper arm is pushed violently downwards to dislocate the shoulder joint. It can happen due to accidents.

Treatment for Acute Shoulder Dislocation:
Closed reduction is one of the most common treatment procurers used by the orthopaedist to treat the shoulder dislocation. After relaxing the muscles affected by the dislocation, and easing the pain with local anesthesia, the doctor repositions the displaced ball back into the socket manually. The patients can immediately experience a reduction in pain and movement after the reduction procedure. The procedure takes only 30 minutes and the patient can expect his return to home within an hour.

Physical therapy, medication, and rehabilitation can be suggested by the doctor following the treatment procedure to help recovery after shoulder dislocation and restore your shoulder joint to its former health.

However, if the shoulder has been dislocated multiple times over time, the condition requires more sophisticated treatment and rehabilitation procedures which will be discussed by the orthopaedic surgeon. At his Joints and Sports Clinic in Surat, Dr. Chirag Patel has successfully treated hundreds of shoulder dislocation problems and can help you too. If you are looking for the best doctor for shoulder dislocation treatment in Surat, you can contact Dr. Chirag Patel here @Call+91 7574887777