A shoulder that is unstable refers to a shoulder joint where the ball of the joint is loose within the socket and slides around within the joint, sometimes causing pain and lameness. Shoulder instability generally leads to a shoulder subluxation, or partial dislocation of the shoulder joint. Shoulder subluxations are usually caused by injury, such as car accidents and athletic injuries, or from repeated rotational movements of the arm.
Symptoms of a Shoulder Subluxation
Symptoms of a shoulder subluxation normally include intermittant pain, loss of full mobility of the affected arm, tingling and numbness.
Treatments
People who have not previously experienced a subluxation and are treated relatively quickly after the onset of symptoms may only require a mild sedative and manual replacement of the humerus.
If the subluxation is severe, or is chronically recurring, a surgical intervention is usually the recommended course of action.
Surgery
In a subluxation surgery, several approaches can be taken. The most common is to stabilize the joint by "fixing" the ball of the shoulder into the socket by adding stability in the form of screws and sutures. This treatment is designed to support the joint while physical therapy is used to strengthen the muscles.
After Treatment Care
In each of these cases, the patient will be expected to refrain from using the affected arm and undergo several weeks or months of physical therapy afterward, aimed at strengthening the muscles that surround the joint in an effort to prevent a recurrence.
Prognosis
The success rate of the treatment varies, depending on the severity of the condition, the method for reducing the subluxation, and the medical history of the patient. A manual replacement of the joint has the highest incidence of recurrence, while a surgically repaired joint generally remains stable for a considerable amount of time post surgery.
Tags: manual replacement, physical therapy, shoulder joint, shoulder subluxation, Shoulder Subluxation