If you experience painful throbbing and tenderness in your shoulders, limitations in shoulder movement, weakness in arms and shoulders, and a swollen shoulder, most likely, you are suffering from shoulder dislocation. Also known as separated shoulder, this can be a really painful injury for patients undergoing treatment for such. This is usually caused by a torn ligament due to strenuous activities such as basketball, wrestling, tennis, gymnastics, and other extreme contact sports and exercises.
However, a common misconception is that only people engaged in sports are prone to shoulder injuries. The truth is, otherwise placid people may experience similar injuries due to seemingly harmless day-to-day activities such as reaching for high areas, lifting heavy objects, and other backbreaking tasks that requires pushing or pulling.
When bones are displaced, one immediately notices a swollen area on top of the shoulder. This is due to the tearing of the ligaments from the joints thereby causing fluid to accumulate in the stretched area. In most cases, the shoulder has to be suctioned first before a surgery is required. Physical therapy is also not possible as this will bring extreme pain to the patient.
If it is not physically possible to bring the injured person immediately to a hospital, first aid can be administered by allowing the person to lie straight on a flat surface and apply ice packs to the injured arm. If the injury is not that immense, the injured person may recover easily and physical pain will gradually decrease as long as the injured person also takes pain relief medication.
However, in severe cases, shoulder X-rays are necessary for doctors to determine the extent of damage caused on the arm. From there, orthopaedic doctors will know the correct treatment for the patient. It may take time for the injury to heal especially if surgery and rehabilitation are required, but with the use of braces, further damage to the shoulder area can be avoided.
There are a lot of shoulder pads and braces available for treatment of these kinds of injuries and understanding the kind of injury the patient has will greatly help in choosing the appropriate brace for the patient.
