Helping Someone With a Dislocated Shoulder: What to Do on the Way to Care and What Not to Try

The ball lands, the keeper comes down on an outstretched hand, and the shout that follows sounds different from an ordinary knock. By the time you jog over, the person is holding one arm clamped against their ribs, head turned away, breathing in short pulls. The shoulder looks wrong: squared off at the corner, a hollow where the roundness should be. Everyone looks at you.

Helping someone with a dislocated shoulder is mostly about restraint. The injury is dramatic and genuinely painful, and the instinct to fix it on the spot is strong, especially if you have seen it done in a film. The evidence points the other way. The most useful things a bystander can do are quiet ones: stop the arm moving, support its weight, and start the journey to care without delay.

This explainer walks through what is happening inside the joint, what to do in the first minutes, what to leave alone, and what the hours and weeks after a reduction usually look like.

What actually happens when a shoulder dislocates?

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint, but the socket is shallow, closer to a golf tee than a cup. That design buys the most freedom of movement of any joint in the body, and it is the reason the shoulder is the joint that dislocates most often, according to the Mayo Clinic.

A dislocation means the ball at the top of the upper arm bone (the humeral head) has been forced completely out of that socket (the glenoid). In the great majority of cases it slips forward and downward, which is called an anterior dislocation. Backward (posterior) dislocations are far less common and tend to follow seizures, electric shocks or a direct blow to the front of the shoulder. A partial slip that drops back on its own is a subluxation, a related but distinct event.

On the way out, the ball stretches or tears the capsule, the fibrous sleeve around the joint, and often peels the labrum, the rim of cartilage that deepens the socket. Ligaments and the rotator cuff tendons can be strained. The axillary nerve, which wraps around the neck of the humerus and supplies feeling to the outer shoulder and power to the deltoid muscle, sits directly in harm’s way. So does the bundle of nerves and vessels that runs through the armpit toward the hand.

Once the ball is out, the muscles around the joint go into protective spasm. That spasm is why the arm locks in one awkward position, why any movement hurts so sharply, and why an untrained person cannot simply shove the ball back where it belongs. Relaxing those muscles is part of what a clinician does in a controlled reduction, and it is not something you can replicate in a car park.

Helping someone with a dislocated shoulder: the first five minutes

Start with the person, not the joint. Kneel to their level, tell them what you are going to do, and ask them to keep breathing slowly. Shock, nausea and light-headedness are common with a sudden painful injury, and a calm voice does more than most people expect.

Then check whether anything more urgent is going on. A fall hard enough to dislocate a shoulder can also injure the head, neck or chest. If the person lost consciousness, has neck pain, is confused, or is struggling to breathe, call emergency services and do not move them beyond what safety demands.

If the problem is clearly the shoulder, your job narrows to three tasks that MedlinePlus and the Mayo Clinic first aid guidance describe in the same terms:

• Keep the joint still in whatever position it has settled. Do not straighten it, lift it or try to lay it flat.
• Support the arm’s weight so the muscles can stop fighting gravity. A sling, a scarf, a folded jacket or simply the person’s other hand under the elbow all work.
• Arrange transport to an emergency department or urgent care centre able to take X-rays.

While you wait, look at the hand on the injured side. Compare its colour and warmth with the other hand and ask whether the fingers feel normal. Note what you find, because a clinician will want to know whether anything has changed by the time they examine the patient.

Keep the person from eating or drinking until they have been assessed. Reductions are sometimes done under sedation, and an empty stomach makes that safer. If the wait is long, a clinician on the phone can advise on sips of water.

Should you pop a dislocated shoulder back in yourself?

No. This is the single most important point in the whole article, and the evidence behind it is consistent across the NHS, MedlinePlus and the Mayo Clinic: a dislocated joint should be put back by a trained clinician, after an X-ray wherever possible.

The reasons are concrete. First, you cannot tell by looking whether the bone is also broken. A fracture of the humeral head or the rim of the socket is common alongside a dislocation, and forcing a broken bone through a reduction can displace fragments and turn a routine injury into a surgical one. Second, the nerves and blood vessels in the armpit are already stretched over the displaced ball. Pulling and twisting without knowing the exact position of the bone can tear them. Third, the muscles are in spasm. Overcoming that spasm by brute force is both agonising and ineffective; clinicians rely on pain relief, patience and leverage rather than strength.

The film version, where a character rams the shoulder into a wall or has a friend yank the arm, is not a technique. It is a way of adding injury to injury.

What about people who have dislocated the same shoulder many times and have been taught by their own clinician how to manage it? That is a specific arrangement between a patient and their treating team, usually for recurrent instability, and it does not transfer to bystanders or to a first-time injury. If someone tells you they have done this before, the safest response is still to support the arm and get them seen.

If the ball slips back on its own before you reach care, the person still needs assessment. Spontaneous relocation does not rule out a fracture or a nerve injury, and the follow-up plan is the same.

Dislocated shoulder first aid: how to support the arm on the move

The goal of a sling is simple: take the weight of the arm off the injured joint so the muscles can relax, and stop the shoulder bouncing with every step or pothole. You are not trying to correct the position. Whatever angle the arm has found, you support it there.

With a triangular bandage or a large scarf, slide the long edge under the forearm, bring the point of the triangle behind the elbow, and tie the two ends around the neck on the uninjured side so the knot does not press on the injury. If the elbow cannot bend because of pain, do not force it; instead, pad the space between the arm and the body with a rolled towel or jacket and secure the arm loosely to the torso with a second scarf or belt.

In a car, the injured person should sit in the back if possible, on the side that lets the injured shoulder rest against a cushion rather than the door. A pillow or folded coat under the elbow keeps the arm from hanging. Ask the driver to take corners and speed bumps slowly. Seatbelts should go over the uninjured shoulder.

A cold pack wrapped in a cloth, placed over the front of the shoulder for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time, is recommended by the Mayo Clinic first aid guidance to reduce pain and swelling. Never put ice directly on skin, and skip it if the person cannot feel the area, since they will not notice a cold burn.

Remove rings and watches from the injured side early, while the fingers are still slim. Swelling can arrive within the hour and turn a loose ring into a tourniquet.

How painful is a dislocated shoulder, and what helps before treatment?

Very. People who have experienced both often describe a shoulder dislocation as worse than a fracture, because the pain does not ease when the limb is still. The displaced ball presses on the capsule and nerves, and every muscle around the joint is contracting against it. The NHS describes the shoulder as extremely painful and usually impossible to move, and most people also feel sick, sweaty or faint in the first minutes.

Position matters more than anything you can offer from a first aid kit. A properly supported arm, with the elbow held and the forearm across the body, often turns a scream into a grimace. Letting the arm hang, even for a moment to adjust a sling, undoes that quickly.

Cold reduces swelling and dulls the surface nerves, which is why the wrapped cold pack earns its place. Breathing slowly through the nose and out through the mouth sounds trivial, but it blunts the panic response that tightens the muscles further.

On medication: simple over-the-counter pain relievers, such as the paracetamol (acetaminophen) family or anti-inflammatory drugs, work by damping the chemical signals of pain and inflammation. Whether and when to take one before reaching hospital depends on the person’s health, their other medicines, and whether sedation may be used soon. That decision belongs to a clinician, and the triage nurse or emergency department will have their own protocol for pain relief on arrival, which may include stronger options given by injection or inhaled gas. This article does not give doses or timings, and a bystander should not either.

What you can promise honestly is that the worst of the pain usually settles sharply once the joint is back in place, which is the strongest argument for getting to care without detours.

What happens in the emergency department when a shoulder is put back

The sequence is predictable, which is reassuring to pass on in the car. A triage nurse will assess pain, check the pulse and sensation in the hand, and usually provide pain relief. An X-ray follows, taken from more than one angle, to confirm the direction of the dislocation and look for fractures. The NHS notes that the X-ray is also how the team decides whether a straightforward reduction is safe.

Reduction is the clinical term for moving the ball back into the socket. There are several manoeuvres, and they share a principle: gentle, sustained traction and positioning that lets the spasming muscles relax enough for the humeral head to slide home, rather than forcing it. The person may be given a short-acting sedative or a nerve block so the muscles let go and the memory of the event is blurred. Some reductions are done with the patient lying face down and the arm hanging with light weight; others involve slow external rotation while the elbow stays at the side.

Most people feel a distinct clunk and then rapid relief. A second X-ray confirms the position and checks that no fracture was created or missed. The hand is examined again for circulation and nerve function, because a nerve that was quiet before reduction can declare itself afterward, and the other way round.

When a fracture is present, the ball will not go back, or the dislocation is unusual, the orthopaedic team may take over, sometimes in theatre under a general anaesthetic. That is a small minority of cases, and the emergency team will explain why if it applies.

Discharge usually comes with a sling, written advice, a follow-up appointment with an orthopaedic or physiotherapy service, and a clear list of warning signs.

Who is treated straight away, and who is asked to wait or go to surgery?

Nearly everyone with a first-time anterior dislocation and no fracture is treated the same day, in the emergency department, with a closed reduction and a sling. That is the standard pathway described by the NHS and the Mayo Clinic.

Some people are managed differently, and it helps to know why so the wait does not feel arbitrary:

• A fracture seen on X-ray may mean the reduction is done by the orthopaedic team, sometimes in theatre, because the pieces need to be controlled during the manoeuvre.
• Signs of blood vessel injury, such as a weak pulse or a cold, pale hand, move the person to the front of the queue and may involve vascular specialists.
• A posterior dislocation, or one that has been out for many hours, may need more sedation or a general anaesthetic because the muscles have had time to tighten.
• Older adults are more likely to have an accompanying rotator cuff tear, and the team may arrange imaging and a specialist review before deciding on rehabilitation.
• Young, active people, especially those under about 25 who play contact or overhead sports, have the highest risk of the shoulder dislocating again; the Mayo Clinic notes that recurrence is more common in younger patients. Some are referred for discussion of surgery to repair the labrum and tighten the capsule, usually after the acute phase.

Being asked to wait for a specialist opinion rather than having immediate surgery is normal, and in most cases it reflects a lack of urgency rather than a lack of concern. Equally, a recommendation for early surgical stabilisation is not a sign that something went wrong; it is a judgement about future stability. In every case the treating team weighs age, activity, the X-ray findings and the person’s own goals, and the final decision sits with them and the patient together.

What to do and what not to try: a one-glance guide

In a stressful moment people do not read paragraphs, so here is the same guidance in a form you can skim on a phone. Every entry traces back to the first aid advice published by MedlinePlus, the NHS and the Mayo Clinic.

Do this	Why it helps	Do not do this	Why it harms
Keep the arm still in the position it has settled	Prevents further stretching of nerves and vessels	Try to push, pull or twist the joint back	Can displace a hidden fracture and tear nerves or vessels
Support the elbow and forearm with a sling or padding	Takes weight off the joint so muscles can relax	Let the arm hang or swing	Increases spasm and pain, risks worsening the injury
Apply a cloth-wrapped cold pack for 15–20 minutes	Reduces swelling and surface pain	Put ice directly on skin or on a numb area	Cold burns, especially where sensation is reduced
Check colour, warmth and feeling in the hand	Gives a baseline to compare with later	Test range of movement to see how bad it is	Each movement stretches damaged tissue
Keep the person nil by mouth until assessed	Makes sedation safer if it is needed	Offer food, alcohol or sedative drinks	Delays treatment and complicates anaesthesia
Remove rings and watches early	Swelling can trap them within the hour	Wait to see if swelling develops	Jewellery may need to be cut off
Travel promptly to a department with X-ray	Allows a safe, imaged reduction	Wait overnight to see if it improves	Spasm tightens, reduction gets harder, nerve injury risk rises

If you remember nothing else: still, supported, cold, hospital. The rest is detail.

Warning signs to watch for on the way to care

Most dislocations travel safely to hospital without drama. A few develop complications in the first hour, and the person next to the patient is best placed to notice. Checking takes 30 seconds and can be repeated every 10 or 15 minutes.

Look at the hand on the injured side next to the other hand. You are comparing colour, temperature and the speed at which the nail bed turns pink again after you press it. A hand that is becoming pale, grey or blue, feels colder than its partner, or has a nail bed that stays white for several seconds after pressure suggests the blood supply is compromised. That is an emergency. Call emergency services rather than continuing in a private car.

Ask about feeling. Numbness or pins and needles over the outer shoulder, roughly where a short sleeve ends, points to the axillary nerve. Numbness in the fingers or an inability to move them points further down the nerve bundle. New or worsening numbness during transport should be reported the moment you arrive and, if the journey is long, by phone to the emergency department.

Watch the person, not just the arm. Increasing pallor, sweating, confusion, vomiting or fainting can signal shock or a second injury that was overshadowed by the obvious one. Severe pain that is clearly climbing rather than plateauing deserves the same respect.

Check the skin over the shoulder. A wound that communicates with the joint, which is rare, turns this into an open injury with infection risk; cover it with a clean dressing and do not probe it.

None of these checks should involve moving the shoulder itself. Everything you need to see is in the hand, the face and the skin.

The first few days after the shoulder is put back

Relief after reduction is real, but it is not the end of the injury. The capsule and ligaments have been stretched or torn and need time to begin healing before the joint is asked to work.

The sling comes home with the patient. The NHS advises wearing it for a few days to a couple of weeks, with the exact period set by the treating team based on age, the X-ray findings and the direction of the dislocation. Younger patients are sometimes asked to keep the arm immobilised slightly longer, older patients slightly shorter to reduce stiffness; this is a clinical judgement, not a rule.

Pain in the first 48 to 72 hours is usually a deep ache rather than the acute agony of the dislocation, and it responds to rest, cold packs and whatever pain relief the discharging clinician has advised. Sleeping is often the hardest part. Many people find a reclining chair, or lying on the back with pillows under the elbow, more comfortable than lying flat.

Practical help matters more than medical help in these days. Buttons, bras, cooking and driving all require two hands, and driving in particular is off the table while the arm is in a sling, both for safety and often for insurance reasons. Showering is manageable with the sling removed and the arm kept still against the body.

The hand and wrist should keep moving. Gentle finger, wrist and elbow movements several times a day, as the discharge advice usually recommends, prevent stiffness and swelling below the injury without stressing the shoulder itself.

A follow-up appointment, typically with an orthopaedic clinic or physiotherapy service, is where the next steps are decided. If one has not been booked by the time of discharge, ask who is arranging it.

Dislocated shoulder recovery time: what weeks two to sixteen usually look like

The NHS puts full recovery from a dislocated shoulder at about 12 to 16 weeks, with most everyday activities possible within around 2 weeks and heavy lifting or shoulder-intensive sport avoided for roughly 6 weeks to 3 months. Those ranges are averages across all ages and injury patterns, not a schedule for any one person, and the treating team adjusts them to the individual.

Early physiotherapy focuses on restoring movement without provoking instability. Pendulum swings, assisted lifting with the other arm, and gentle rotation within a pain-free arc are typical starting points. The therapist watches for the positions that reproduce the feeling of the shoulder slipping, usually the arm raised and turned outward as if throwing, and keeps those out of the programme until the joint has earned them.

From around the fourth to sixth week, the emphasis shifts to strengthening the rotator cuff and the muscles that stabilise the shoulder blade. These muscles are the shoulder’s active restraint; a loose capsule can be partly compensated for by well-trained muscles, which is why sticking with the exercises matters more than most patients expect.

Return to sport is a conversation, not a date. Contact sports, climbing, swimming strokes with overhead reach and racquet sports carry the highest risk of a second dislocation. A therapist or sports clinician will usually want to see near-full strength and confident movement in the vulnerable positions before clearing them.

Desk work can often resume within days once pain allows typing; manual work involving lifting or reaching overhead usually waits for the strengthening phase and a clinician’s sign-off. Fitness-to-work notes and any return-to-driving advice should come from the treating team rather than from a general article.

Side effects and complications of a dislocated shoulder: what the evidence shows

People searching for side effects usually mean complications, and it is fair to describe them plainly. Most are uncommon, and most are either temporary or manageable, but knowing them makes the follow-up appointments feel less like formality.

Recurrent dislocation is the most frequent long-term problem. Once the capsule and labrum have been stretched or torn, the joint is looser than before, and the Mayo Clinic notes that repeat dislocations are especially common in younger people and in those who return to high-risk activity. Each repeat event tends to come with less force than the last. This is the reason some young athletes are offered stabilising surgery, and the reason rehabilitation is not optional.

Nerve injury, most often to the axillary nerve, causes numbness over the outer shoulder and weakness lifting the arm sideways. The Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins both describe this as a recognised complication; in most cases the nerve has been stretched rather than cut and recovers over weeks to months, but it needs to be documented and followed.

Fractures of the socket rim or the back of the humeral head happen as the ball leaves and re-enters. Small ones are managed with the same sling and rehabilitation; larger ones can contribute to instability and may need surgical attention.

Rotator cuff tears become more likely with age, and a shoulder that remains weak or painful beyond the expected window in an older adult is usually investigated for one.

Stiffness, sometimes progressing to a frozen shoulder, is more common when immobilisation is prolonged, which is why the sling period is kept as short as safely possible.

Blood vessel injury is rare but serious, which is why the pulse and colour of the hand are checked so often. Chronic instability, where the shoulder feels loose or apprehensive without fully dislocating, can persist and is a reason to return to the team.

What people often get wrong about helping someone with a dislocated shoulder

“If you catch it quickly you can push it straight back.” The speed of the response changes nothing about the risk of an undetected fracture or a stretched nerve. The clinician who reduces the joint has an X-ray, pain relief and a technique that relies on relaxation rather than force. A bystander has none of those.

“A dislocated shoulder is just a bad sprain.” A sprain stretches a ligament; a dislocation moves a bone out of its joint and typically tears the labrum or capsule on the way. The joint may feel normal after reduction, but the structural damage is what drives the risk of recurrence.

“Alcohol will relax the muscles enough to help.” It will not relax them usefully, it complicates sedation and anaesthesia, and it makes assessing nerve function harder. Keep the person free of food and drink until a clinician says otherwise.

“If it goes back in on its own, there is no need to go to hospital.” Spontaneous relocation is good news for pain but says nothing about fractures or nerve injury, and the rehabilitation plan is the same. Assessment and an X-ray are still recommended.

“Keep it completely still for six weeks.” Prolonged immobilisation trades instability for stiffness. Current practice keeps the sling period short and starts guided movement early, with the exact timing set by the treating team.

“Strapping or a brace will stop it happening again.” Supports can offer confidence during the return to sport, but there is no good evidence that they prevent recurrence on their own. Strengthening the rotator cuff and shoulder blade muscles is the intervention that the rehabilitation evidence supports.

“Only athletes dislocate shoulders.” Falls onto an outstretched hand in older adults, seizures and road traffic collisions account for a large share, and older patients face a different set of complications, particularly rotator cuff tears.

Questions to ask your care team after a shoulder dislocation

The emergency department is a poor place to absorb information, and the follow-up visit is where the real plan is made. Writing questions down beforehand, or having the person who helped at the scene come along, makes the appointment more useful. These are the ones that tend to matter most.

• Which direction did the shoulder dislocate, and did the X-ray show any fracture of the socket or the top of the arm bone?
• Was there any sign of nerve or blood vessel injury, and what should I watch for at home?
• How long do you want me to wear the sling, and can I take it off to wash, dress or sleep?
• What movements are safe now, and which positions should I avoid until you tell me otherwise?
• When should physiotherapy start, and who is arranging the referral?
• Given my age and activities, what is my realistic risk of it dislocating again, and what reduces that risk?
• Am I someone for whom early surgical stabilisation is worth discussing, or is rehabilitation alone the usual first step?
• When can I drive, return to work, and go back to my sport, and who will clear me for each?
• What symptoms in the coming weeks would mean I should come back sooner than planned?
• If I have an older shoulder, should I be checked for a rotator cuff tear if it stays weak?

Expect honest uncertainty in some answers. Recurrence risk, for example, is a probability shaped by age, sport and anatomy, not a prediction for an individual. A team that says “it depends, and here is what it depends on” is giving you the evidence as it stands. The decisions about surgery, sling duration and return to activity remain with the treating clinicians, informed by what the patient wants to get back to.

When to call your doctor or return to emergency care

Before the joint has been put back, the whole situation is an emergency and the destination is the nearest emergency department. Call emergency services rather than driving if the hand on the injured side turns pale, grey, blue or cold, if the person cannot move or feel their fingers, if there is a wound over the joint, if a head, neck or chest injury is possible, or if the person faints, becomes confused or struggles to breathe.

After reduction and discharge, most recovery is uneventful, and the ordinary ache, bruising and stiffness of the first two weeks do not need a call. The following do, and they should prompt either same-day contact with the treating team or a return to emergency care depending on severity:

• Numbness, pins and needles or weakness in the shoulder, arm or hand that is new or getting worse rather than better.
• A hand that becomes cold, pale or swollen compared with the other side, or pain that is severe and climbing despite rest and the advised pain relief.
• The shoulder slipping, clunking or feeling as though it is about to come out again, or a second full dislocation.
• Fever, spreading redness or discharge at any wound or injection site.
• Inability to lift the arm sideways at all once the sling period has ended, which can signal a nerve or rotator cuff problem.
• Persistent pain or weakness beyond the recovery window the team described, which may warrant imaging for a cuff tear or a fracture that was not visible early on.

When in doubt, call. A short conversation with a nurse or physiotherapist costs nothing but time, and the team would rather hear about a false alarm than miss a nerve injury that was treatable. Every decision about further imaging, surgery or a change in rehabilitation belongs to the clinicians who know the specific injury, and this article is a guide to the conversation, not a replacement for it.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best ways to care for a dislocated shoulder before reaching hospital?

Keep the arm still in the position it has settled, support its weight with a sling or folded clothing, and apply a cloth-wrapped cold pack for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Check the hand’s colour and feeling regularly, remove rings early, and avoid food or drink until a clinician has assessed the person. Then travel promptly to an emergency department with X-ray facilities.

How painful is a dislocated shoulder?

Severely painful, and unusually so because the pain does not ease when the arm is still. The displaced bone presses on the capsule and nerves while the surrounding muscles spasm against it. Many people feel sick, sweaty or faint in the first minutes. Supporting the arm’s weight reduces the pain noticeably, and most people experience rapid relief once a clinician has put the joint back in place.

Should you pop a dislocated shoulder back in yourself?

No. Reduction should be done by a trained clinician, ideally after an X-ray, because a hidden fracture or stretched nerve can be seriously worsened by force. Clinicians use pain relief, positioning and patience to let the spasming muscles relax rather than pulling against them. Even if the shoulder slips back on its own, the person still needs assessment for fractures and nerve injury.

What should I avoid if I have a shoulder dislocation?

Avoid moving or testing the joint, letting the arm hang, eating or drinking before assessment, and any attempt by you or anyone untrained to relocate it. After reduction, avoid the positions your team identifies as unstable, usually the arm raised and turned outward, and avoid heavy lifting and shoulder-intensive sport until cleared, which the NHS puts at roughly 6 weeks to 3 months.

What are the potential side effects of a dislocated shoulder?

The main complications are repeat dislocation, which is most common in younger active people; injury to the axillary nerve, causing numbness over the outer shoulder and weakness lifting the arm; fractures of the socket rim or humeral head; rotator cuff tears, more likely with age; stiffness if immobilisation is prolonged; and, rarely, blood vessel injury. Most are temporary or manageable but need follow-up.

How do you make a sling for dislocated shoulder first aid?

Slide the long edge of a triangular bandage or large scarf under the forearm, bring the point behind the elbow, and tie the ends around the neck on the uninjured side. Support the arm in whatever angle it has found; do not force the elbow to bend. If no bandage is available, a folded jacket under the elbow and the person’s other hand supporting the forearm work well.

How long is the dislocated shoulder recovery time?

The NHS describes full recovery as taking about 12 to 16 weeks, with most everyday activities possible within around 2 weeks and heavy lifting or shoulder-intensive sport avoided for 6 weeks to 3 months. These are typical ranges, not promises; age, fractures, nerve injury and the chosen rehabilitation plan all shift the timeline, and the treating team sets the pace for each person.

Does a dislocated shoulder always show up on an X-ray?

A full dislocation is almost always visible on X-ray, and images from more than one angle are standard to confirm the direction and look for fractures. A subluxation that has already slipped back may look normal, which is why the examination and history matter. Nerve injury and labral tears do not show on plain X-rays and may need clinical follow-up or further imaging.

Can a dislocated shoulder heal on its own without treatment?

The joint will not reliably return to its socket without a reduction, and leaving it displaced for hours makes the muscles tighter, the reduction harder and nerve injury more likely. Even when the shoulder relocates spontaneously, the torn capsule and labrum heal better with a short period of support and guided rehabilitation. Assessment is recommended in every case.

Why does a dislocated shoulder keep happening to some people?

Each dislocation stretches or tears the capsule and the cartilage rim that deepen the socket, leaving the joint looser than before. Younger people, particularly those under about 25 who play contact or overhead sports, have the highest recurrence risk according to the Mayo Clinic. Strengthening the rotator cuff and shoulder blade muscles lowers the risk, and surgery to repair the labrum is discussed for some.

References

• NHS: Dislocated shoulder
• MedlinePlus: Dislocation (first aid)
• Cleveland Clinic: Dislocated shoulder

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.