The first time someone dislocates a shoulder can be eye-opening. First, there’s the pain, which can range from moderate to severe. Then there’s the loss of use of the arm for a while while the joint heals. As if these aren't bad enough to manage, this initial dislocation can set the stage for future instability and subsequent dislocations.
To give you an idea, nearly 20% of people who dislocate a shoulder go on to redislocate the joint. Each time this occurs, the joint grows weaker and more unstable, leaving you with chronic issues and a joint that’s far from reliable.
As a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in shoulder issues, Dr. William Schell has a deep well of knowledge when it comes to chronic shoulder instability, and we share some key points here.
Your shoulder joints enjoy the most range of motion of any joint in your body — just reach behind you to scratch your back or windmill your arms for a moment to appreciate just how much.
This exceptional range of motion does come at cost — shoulders are inherently unstable joints. At their core, shoulders are ball-and-socket joints where your upper arm bones meet the glenoid sockets in your shoulder blades. And these sockets are shallow, which is what provides the awesome range of motion in your shoulders — up and down and front to back.
To help keep the ball in the socket, your shoulder features tough connective tissues, including the rotator cuff, the labrum (which seals the socket), muscles, and other ligaments that connect the bones.
When you dislocate your shoulder, these connective tissues can get stretched out and might not bounce back to their former strength and tightness after healing. These looser connective tissue then leave you far more vulnerable to future dislocations.
Even if you don’t redislocate your shoulder after an initial dislocation, some people can still feel instability in the joint after the initial damage.
If you’re experiencing shoulder instability or you’re having to navigate painful redislocations, we recommend one of two options:
One of the keys to preventing chronic shoulder instability is to focus on the connective tissues through physical therapy. We work closely with physical therapists to help you regain strength and reliable range of motion in your affected shoulder.
This approach is great if you have patience, and you don’t rely on your shoulder for work or for a specific activity. If you’re a professional tennis player or house painter, however, conservative treatments may not work well enough for your needs, which brings us to the next one.
If your shoulder’s instability is limiting your life or you’re experiencing painful redislocations, we might recommend a surgical procedure.
Although Dr. Schell tailors these surgeries to your exact needs, in most cases, he repairs and tightens the stretched ligaments in your shoulder. This tightening and repair work is designed to improve the joint’s stability and allow you full and reliable use of your arm again.
To figure out which approach is best for your chronic shoulder instability and your lifestyle, please contact us at our New York City office on Columbus Circle on the Upper West Side by calling 646-381-2646. You can also contact us by clicking here.
