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Video: How to Pop a Shoulder Back Into Place

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

You’re slipping down a hill and grab a tree limb to stop your fall. You wish you hadn’t because now your shoulder’s hurting like all get-out. You think you dislocated it.

You need medical help as soon as possible. The only way to rule out a break is to have X-rays. If there’s no way to get the help, here are some things I’d do to diagnose and treat the shoulder injury. (You can also view these tips in the video above.)


Tips for Diagnosing a Dislocated Shoulder

You may have a dislocated shoulder if:

  • It feels best to hold your forearm out with your good hand, across your abdomen or chest, elbow bent at a ninety-degree angle.
  • There’s a soft spot and possible indentation in your injured shoulder because the ball isn’t in the socket. (You can tell the difference if you compare it to the good shoulder.)


How a Shoulder Gets Dislocated

The top of the upper arm ends in the shape of a ball. The ball fits into a socket, or cup, in the shoulder bone. When you dislocate your shoulder:

  1. Trauma jerks the ball out of the socket.
  2. Shoulder muscles pull the ball back, but now it’s outside the socket.
  3. The ball is tight up against the socket and can’t get back in.


How to Fix a Dislocated Shoulder 

To fix a dislocated shoulder, you must pull the arm away from the socket so the ball is pulled beyond the edge of the socket cup. To do this, you need traction from weights or someone pulling while your arm is in a proper position.

In my video I demonstrate the top three ways I would attempt to fix a dislocated shoulder. In each method, you have to pull on the arm slowly and steadily. (Jerking causes the muscles to react and contract. It could also break a bone.) The muscles do the rest, and eventually, the ball pops back into the socket.

January 17th, 2012 | Tags: | Category: Bones
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  • Troy

    I had 7 shoulder dislocations before I had “open bankart” shoulder surgery to have it repaired 4 years ago. Shoulder dislocations are one of the worst injuries that I’ve ever experienced. The best thing you can do is get it put back in place (reduced) asap! The longer you wait, the tighter the muscles get etc. I dislocated mine doing things from roller blading, martial arts, and throwing a baseball. After the first separation / dislocation, you will be susceptible to more. I can attest to this fact. On my 3td dislocation, luckily I was in jiujitsu class and my instructor knew exactly what to do. Pulling on it was not the easiest way to reduce it as was done in the emergency room the previous times. The best method is to bend at the elbow 90 degrees and lift as high as possible. Have someone or yourself make a clinched fist and tightly put it up in your armpit. Then push down on the elbow causing the shoulder to pop back in socket. It sucks but works better than any method ever used on me in the ER. I highly recommend the surgery to repair it if you are a chronic sufferer of this injury. The surgery sucks but us 100% worth it and your repaired shoulder will be even better than your non repaired shoulder in 3 months or so. Good luck! Glockm22@aol.com.

    • http://www.TheSurvivalDoctor.com James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

      Thanks, Troy. Sounds like you’ve had a rough time of it.

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  • http://www.thesurvivaldoctor.com James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

    Oh, Erin?

    Ask them about any alternatives to surgery and what the odds are those alternatives might help.

  • http://www.thesurvivaldoctor.com James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

    Erin,

    No doubt about it. You need to see an orthopedist. Don’t like his advice? Seek a second opinion.

  • Erin

    My shoulder dislocates A LOT! Half of the time I have to end up calling 911 because my shoulder refuses to pop back into place. It seems like it will become dislocated for no reason. Even rolling over in bed can cause it to dislocate. Sometimes it can take doctors in the ER up to three hours to fix it. Doctors have tried all of the techniques listed in the video, but more often than not, the techniques do not work. What am I supposed to do? I don’t want to walk around with a bum shoulder the rest of my life, but I’m terrified of having surgery. This is getting ridiculous how much it pops out. And the pain, oh the pain is excrutiating!

  • William

    I have also been a victim of a shoulder dislocation, but it popped in and out quickly. It did not go “all the way” and lodge its self outside the joint so that it had to be re-set. But it hurt and still gives me issues today.

    Thanks for several ways of doing an essential task if absolutely necessary!

  • http://www.thesurvivaldoctor.com James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

    Great comment on my other shoulder video post. I’ve pasted it below. Thanks.
    JH

    Allan Hildebrandt
    January 14, 2012

    An old ER nurse here. For reduction of a separation in the field, there is a way that I know sometimes works ( depending on anterior or posterior ) sit down on floor, knees up. hold hands together and grasp opposite knee, pull self forwards. Perhaps you could add this to video for further instructional purposes.