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Go to whole of WA Government Search. Open search bar Open navigation Submit search. Health conditions. If you have a fracture, you may have further scans to investigate the area in more detail.
Fractures with a shoulder dislocation require specialist orthopaedic care, and you may need surgery. If you do not have any fractures, your arm will be gently manipulated back into its shoulder joint using a procedure known as reduction. While you're sitting on the bed, the doctor will rotate your arm around the shoulder joint until it goes back in its socket. This may take a few minutes. You'll usually have another X-ray to check your shoulder is in the correct position once your shoulder joint is back in place.
If these tissues have been damaged, you may need surgery to repair them. This can significantly reduce the chance of dislocating the same shoulder again in the future for some people. Surgery to repair shoulder tissues is done under general anaesthetic. It's often done using keyhole surgery, where small cuts incisions and a thin tube with a light and camera at one end arthroscope are used. Sometimes it's necessary to have open surgery to move bones around in the shoulder to prevent further dislocations.
Surgery can sometimes be avoided by doing appropriate exercises to strengthen the shoulder if the tissues are overstretched but not torn. You can usually go home soon after your shoulder is put back in place, but you'll need to rest your arm in a sling for a few days while the pain settles.
You may need to return to hospital for follow-up care, and may also be referred for physiotherapy to rehabilitate and strengthen your shoulder. Some gentle arm and shoulder exercises may be recommended for you to do at home with your arm out of its sling. It's likely you'll feel some aching, discomfort or stretching when doing these exercises.
However, if you experience intense pain for more than 30 minutes, do the exercise less forcefully and less often. Your shoulder may be very painful during the first few days at home and you may need to take painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Always follow the dosage instructions on the packet. If this does not control the pain, your GP can prescribe a stronger painkiller, such as codeine. Almost all shoulder dislocations followed by closed reduction heal better initially when the shoulder is immobilized for a period of time. It may be difficult to function at home with one arm in the sling, and you may be on prescription-strength painkillers.
You should have someone available to take you home from the emergency room. In some cases, you will also need someone to help you with certain activities of daily living that require the use of two hands. After a shoulder dislocation followed by closed reduction, you will need to take steps to reduce the pain and inflammation in the shoulder. Rest, icing, and anti-inflammatory painkillers, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, can ease pain and swelling, and immobilizing the shoulder will decrease pain and promote healing of damaged soft-tissues of the shoulder.
Here is what you can expect and how you can cope with a sling immobilizing your shoulder:. The first concern is to monitor swelling for the first 48 hours while wearing your sling.
Physicians generally prescribe ice packs to be applied as much as possible during the first few days after the injury to decrease pain and swelling. Physicians generally recommend wearing the sling at all times except for daily hygiene for between two and eight weeks.
When your shoulder starts to heal, your physician may recommend that you remove the sling for short periods to perform some light, early-motion exercises. You should move your fingers and hands in the sling as much as possible to help circulate blood. If you develop a rash or irritated skin around your sling, call your physician. If you notice any abnormal wear or discomfort, contact your physician as early as possible.
In general, do not try to "grin and bear it" if discomfort does not go away within a few days. Rehabilitation can usually begin within a few weeks after the injury, but you should visit your physician a week or two after the injury for a routine check-up.
Until cleared by your physician, you should keep the shoulder immobilized in the sling. The sling may make it difficult to use the hand of the injured shoulder. Some people may need to take about six weeks off from work after a shoulder dislocation, depending on how much they rely on the immobilized arm. After about two or three weeks of immobilization, your physician usually refers you to a physical therapist to begin rehabilitation exercises.
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