From the moment a person becomes injured, experienced car accident doctors are necessary for a healthy, successful healing journey. There are many injures one may endure due to an auto accident. Today, we wish to share about shoulder injuries such as a dislocated shoulder.

Intro to car accident shoulder injuries:

The most common injures people think of when they hear about car accidents are whiplash, concussions, or fractures. However, there are more than those, and some of the less known injuries are more painful. Shoulder injuries are one of those painful ones that many people just do not think about.

The shoulder is composed of three bones:

  • The clavicle (collarbone)
  • The scapula (shoulder blade)
  • The humerus ( upper arm bone)

The shoulder is actually the most movable joint in the body. However, they can be unstable because the ball of the upper arm is bigger than the socket that holds it. For it to remain stable, or in a normal position, the shoulder must be securely anchored by tendons, muscles, and ligaments.

Why does the shoulder get injured easily?:

Our shoulders can be more easily injured compared to some other parts of the body because it can be so unstable. There are quite a few shoulder injuries that occur in car accidents. For starters, people may come in with a torn rotator cuff if they were in an odd position.

Same goes for dislocations. The shoulder may become dislocated if a person was not wearing the seat belt correctly- or not wearing it at all. And of course, there are usual injuries that may be found on any other part of the body such as fractures, sprains, separations, and strains.

Usually, medical professionals ask patients if they have tried the RICE method. The RICE method  simply stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. If a patient has not tried this yet and the pain is mild, the doctor may recommend trying the RICE method before coming in. When a patient does not feel any relief from this or is feeling moderate to severe pain, a physical exam in needed.

Dislocated shoulders:

As we said before, the top of the upper arm bone is shaped like a ball. The ball part fits into a cup-like socket in the scapula, or shoulder blade. A shoulder dislocation occurs when the “ball” pops out of the socket.

A dislocation may not be completely obvious. The ball can slightly come out of the socket. Doctors call this a partial dislocation.

On the other hand, a full dislocation is when the ball comes completely out of the socket. Because the shoulder is the most moveable joint in the body, it is also the most commonly dislocated.

There are multiple ways the shoulder can become dislocated. The most common causes of course include car accidents, or auto accidents. Falling on your shoulder, sports injuries, over stretching the arm, and seizures are just a few causes of shoulder dislocations. Electric shocks may also cause dislocations because the muscle contraction can pull the arm out of place.

Next week, we are going to share more information on dislocated shoulders. Stay tuned the next few weeks for other shoulder injuries. Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to make an appointment following a car accident.

Staff Writer