Dislocated shoulder and muscle strains can prove to be extremely painful. Muscle strains and shoulder injury caused by the negligence of others or due to some medical condition require immediate and proper medical attention. A dislocated injury occurs when the bone of your upper arm is dislocated from the socket of the shoulder blade. Muscle strain occurs due to torn or overstretched muscles.
If you are experiencing muscle strains or a dislocated shoulder due to an accident caused by someone’s negligence then it is essential to seek help from an experienced West Palm Beach personal injury lawyer to file a damage claim. However, before that, it is important to seek medical attention and to gain more knowledge about your injury.
Symptoms of Shoulder Dislocation and Muscle Strains
If your shoulder is dislocated, you might experience the following symptoms:
- Arm weakness or numbness
- Pins and needles sensation
- Constant feeling of your shoulder just ‘hanging there’, slipping out, or feeling loose
- Shoulder giving out repeatedly
- Continuous pain in shoulder
You will need immediate medical attention if your shoulder is dislocated and the doctor will determine the right treatment after a thorough examination. You might experience the following symptoms when having muscle strains:
- Weakness
- Stiffness
- Spasms of muscles
- Feeling of being ‘knotted up’
- Swelling
- Discoloration or bruising
- Restricted movement
- Soreness
- Continuous or sudden pain
With a mild muscle strain, you will feel stiff but still flexible enough to move. A severe muscle strain restricts movement and causes severe pain.
Causes of Dislocated Shoulder
There can be several causes of a dislocated shoulder. Following are the three major causes:
- Traumatic Shoulder Dislocation – this happens when the shoulder is in a vulnerable position and pops out at high-speed impact. This typically occurs during a fall, football tackle or a car accident.
- Repetitive Shoulder Ligament Overstrain – having loose ligaments make you vulnerable to dislocate your shoulder with ease. Moreover, this is also caused by repetitive overstretching. This typically occurs with sports like volleyball, baseball, cricket, tennis, swimming, and other sports with repetitive overhead movements.
- Multi-Directional Instability – loose ligaments due to genetic disposition make the shoulder unstable in multiple directions.
A muscle strain can be caused by trauma or injuries, as well as due to the following causes:
- Fatigue and overexertion
- Poor conditioning
- Poor flexibility
- Exercising without warming up
- Lifting something in an awkward position
- Lifting heavy objects
- Throwing something with a sudden movement
- Slipping and falling
- Poor posture
- Sports like baseball, golf, tennis and rowing
Muscle strains are more common during colder weather because muscles get stiffer during low temperatures.
Surgery for Shoulder Dislocation
After examination, your doctor might recommend surgery to treat your dislocated shoulder. Following are the common surgeries for shoulder dislocation:
Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery
This surgery utilizes a small camera to repair or examine the tissues around or inside the shoulder joint. It helps in relieving painful symptoms that damage articular cartilage, labrum, rotator cuff tendons, and other soft tissues.
Open Shoulder Surgery
This surgery requires a large incision, which is typically about 4 to 6 cm. It is conducted when the patient has a major rotator cuff tear.
Shoulder Replacement
During this surgery, the ball (hemiarthroplasty) is replaced or both the socket and the ball are replaced in order to treat the instability of the shoulder. This is needed when there is a requirement for reconstructing bone defects.
Capsular Shift
This surgery is needed if you have experienced multiple dislocations. The ligaments that hold the joints of your shoulder in place become lax and stretched out because of the dislocations. This surgery tightens the ligaments with tissue laps and re-suturing and shifting them to remove the loose tissues.
Remplissage Procedure
This surgery is conducted with latarjet procedure in tandem when the humeral head or the shoulder ball get severely damaged due to dislocation, which cases Hill-Sachs lesion.
After your shoulder is thoroughly examined, the doctor might conduct a series of tests and x-rays to determine which surgery would be best as per your condition.
Treatment for Muscle Strains
Majority of the muscle strains can be treated at home. Mild shoulder strains typically disappear after a week or so and can be treated with RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation).
- Rest – this is possibly the best treatment for muscle strains since they are mostly caused due to overstraining of the muscles.
- Ice – it is highly recommended that you immediately apply ice to the affected muscle. This will reduce the swelling around the injury. However, make sure you use an ice wrap or ice pack and avoid directly placing ice on the skin. Don’t ice the muscle for more than 20 minutes. Repeat as necessary.
- Compression – wrap up the affected muscle with a bandage till the swelling reduces. Make sure you avoid wrapping the bandage too tightly as it could decrease the blood circulation.
- Elevation – if possible, ensure that the injured or strained muscle is elevated above your heart level.
Some other treatments include:
- Using over-the-counter medications that reduce inflammation to reduce the swelling and pain.
- Applying heat to affected muscles will help in enhancing the blood circulation in the area and promote quick healing.
- Avoiding too much rest as it could increase the weakness and stiffness of the muscle not being used. Try light stretching exercises and gradually increase the activity level.
- Warming up and stretching before exercises to enhance the flow of blood and to reduce the risk of injury.
In case the pain and swelling in the muscle are severe, it is best to seek immediate medical attention.
Speak With A Shoulder Dislocation or Muscle Strain Injury Attorney Today
If your shoulder injury has been caused due to someone else’s negligence then it is highly recommended that you seek legal assistance to file for damages. Contact Shiner Law Group and get a free case evaluation of your case to determine the damages you might be entitled for due to the negligence of others that caused you pain.
