[Annabelle]

Hey Everyone,

Anyone here ever dislocated a shoulder before? It just happened to me on Sunday night (apparently it is easier to dislocate if you are pregnant), from slipping on a patch of ice on my way home.

I am much better now thanks!

My main concern is that the doctor told me that I might have difficulty getting back into my favourite swim stroke (front crawl/freestyle)... and could potentially dislocate it again by doing so (Boo!)... so I am just wondering if anyone else coincidentally is a swimmer/has dislocated their shoulder. I was really hoping I'd be able to swim the baby weight off!

Thanks in advance! :)

[Trust]

What degree of separation?

[Annabelle]

A "sublexation with a resultant bankhart tear"? Does that make any sense?- I was lucky it popped out and when I moved it clunked back in, so I believe its a partial, not total. Is that a help? (I can't move arm backwards i.e. to put on jacket, or above 90 degrees).

[Rhea]

Yowch! My sympathies, that sounds nasty.

I have loose ligaments in my hip sockets and every once in a while one of my legs will pop out just a teensy bit. The pain is enough to drop me to the floor. I can't even imagine what it feels like to have a limb pop out of the socket entirely.

I hope your doc referred you to a physical therapist. If not then ask for a referral. I've been put back together again a couple of times by a PT. It's amazing what they know about the human body and how to help it heal and get strong.

[Annabelle]

I hope your doc referred you to a physical therapist. If not then ask for a referral. I've been put back together again a couple of times by a PT. It's amazing what they know about the human body and how to help it heal and get strong.


Thanks Rhea! Your hip sounds equally as painful :( ooch ooch ooch

You realize just how valuable your joints are when they don't work the way you were used to (i.e. shampooing my hair with my left arm is such a foreign concept to me... since I am right handed).

Yes, I have a great physiotherapist, who has been so kind as to see me twice in a week! I saw one when I was a pre-adolescent, because I grew so quickly my leg muscles did not develop properly (I am just shy of 6 feet tall)... they are wonderful healers.

[Trust]

Yeah that hurts. I know in HS i had a first degree separation, more of a shoulder sprain from playing football and was in a sling for many weeks and now am perfectly fine, so I don't think mine was that bad. Are you in a sling now? Is it bad enough that you will need surgery?

[Annabelle]

No I am not in a sling - I was for the first few days, but I found that MORE painful, actually. My doctor said that there are a whole whack of "sling theories" out there - the most common is to use the sling under the theory that the ligaments and muscles will heal around it properly. However the other practice believes in getting movement in there ASAP so that the muscles don't weaken etc. There is some new theory on the table as well, but my brain can only absorb so much info in one sitting! :)

However, to surgery or not to surgery depends on how it heals, and to wait until after I have the baby. So... its just a waiting game for now. But I am so happy to have use of both hands to type! I guess its all just a waiting game to see how things go - he said I could dislocate from swimming or just sleeping in the wrong position or it could never happen again... so I guess there's no real knowing or prevention of it happening again.

[meadowmufn]

Folks, be careful on that ice! A co-worker of mine broke her arm this week when she slipped and fell on some ice. Ouch.

[inflatemouse]

I have a very bad shoulder. I have had about 6 dislocations in a year. It is really improtant do the PT excersices. Additional things that help are cutting back on caffine and making sure that you have anti-inflammatory option all the time. A bag of frozen peas is a great no pills way to cut down your swelling. The best things you can do is make sure you don't get knots in the muscles around your shoulder and teach yourself not to reach behind your back for any reason.

[clyderose]

:) i disclocated my shoulder playing badminton.....i tried taking a backhand that was above me and my right had popped out. My racket fell out of my hand i went runining and banged my shoulder on a pillar trying to put it back in. It dint work so i hit my shoulder with my other hand once i got it in on the second go. Its not come out after that but i do think its weak feel it move a lil sometimes when i used to strain it earlier. But with regular exercise n stuff it does get back its strength so chill out Anna :) dont worry ull be just fine!

[Annabelle]

:) i disclocated my shoulder playing badminton.....i tried taking a backhand that was above me and my right had popped out. My racket fell out of my hand i went runining and banged my shoulder on a pillar trying to put it back in. It dint work so i hit my shoulder with my other hand once i got it in on the second go. Its not come out after that but i do think its weak feel it move a lil sometimes when i used to strain it earlier. But with regular exercise n stuff it does get back its strength so chill out Anna :) dont worry ull be just fine!

Owch - I cant believe you did that! I don't think I would have had the nerve to bang my shoulder against anything ! You never went to therapy or anything to strengthen all those ligaments and muscles? Wow.

I have a very bad shoulder. I have had about 6 dislocations in a year. It is really improtant do the PT excersices.

Six/year? That's crazy! Owch? Thanks for all the tips - *sigh* isn't caffeine good for anything? A bag of peas is also a really good idea since all I have are those hard ice packs you would use as a lunch cooler or some such. The exercises she gave me are real simple and I think they'll help keep everything loosened while it heals. She told me I might want to tie my hand to my waist when I go to bed since I have the extremely bad habit of putting both arms behind my head while I sleep. Eep!

Thanks you guys for all your support and advice! :)

[Annabelle]

Inflatemouse - nice Display Pic! Calvin & Hobbes is my favourite (Well, that and The Far Side).

[WarrenCP]

It is really improtant do the PT excersices. Additional things that help are cutting back on caffine and making sure that you have anti-inflammatory option all the time. A bag of frozen peas is a great no pills way to cut down your swelling. The best things you can do is make sure you don't get knots in the muscles around your shoulder and teach yourself not to reach behind your back for any reason.

Thats some great advice right there. I've dislocated my shoulder three times while snowboarding. It hurts the most the first time. Just make sure to rest it as much as possible but at the same time, try to do some little movements here and there to keep the muscles active. That will cut down the recovery times a little.