Shoulders are versatile joints that can easily get injured by throwing, falling, or even closing the door of your car. Each shoulder has 15 muscles and eight ligaments that can directly affect its movement. Connective tendons and muscles form the rotator cuff that can be strengthened. Through overuse or poor posture, the tendon gets inflamed and painful. Shoulder dislocations occur when the humeral head forcefully gets off from its socket. The dislocations can be in several directions, and end position of the humeral head after the incident is used to describe the dislocated shoulder.
Traumatic Dislocation
Traumatic shoulder dislocations are common in children due to their tenderness and are associated with falls or sports such as volleyball, basketball, and football. Seniors are also prone to trauma dislocation because of the weakening of the cartilage and ligaments that support the shoulder. These instances can only occur when a force is applied to the shoulder.
Anterior Dislocations
Anterior dislocations occur when the shoulder is held in a risky position. An example is when the elbow is bent while the arm is above the head, and a force is applied to shove the elbow backward levering the humeral head from the glenoid fossa; a shallow depression on the shoulder bone that forms the joint. This can happen when hitting a volleyball or throwing a ball. It also happens when someone falls with an outstretched hand making the shoulder turn away from the body.
Posterior Dislocations
Posterior dislocations are rare and are associated with some injuries such as seizures, electric injuries, and lightning strikes. This type of dislocation may also occur with small injuries among the elderly, and since X-rays may not easily reveal a posterior dislocation, it is likely to miss the diagnosis when the patient delays to turn up for the examination, or if the there is a decrease of the shoulder joint motion. Other types of dislocations, though rare, are intrathoracic; occurs when the humeral head is trapped between the ribs, and luxatio erecta; a minor dislocation under the joint. Check this website for an experienced doctor when having any shoulder problem including dislocations.
Shoulder Separation
A shoulder separation is a different injury and is not related to the glen humeral joint. Instead, it involves acromioclavicular joint; the joint at the upper part of the shoulder. This is where part of the shoulder blade and the collarbone come together in the shoulder front. A direct blow; mostly from falling directly onto the exterior part of the shoulder, injures the cartilage inside, the numerous stability ligaments, and the joint. While there may be swelling and pain at the collarbone end, the patient can at least move the shoulder.
Shoulder movement is a leading cause of most of the shoulder problems. At times, however, a patient can experience pain at the shoulder that originates from other parts of the body including mid back and the neck. Therefore, it is important to be careful with the movement of the shoulder while being watchful of any related issue. In the case of any shoulder problem, it is necessary to see a health professional to ascertain the cause of the problem and provide proper medication.
