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I Hurt my Shoulder - What Should I do Next?
The
body is a complex machine, and just like any machine, if something falls off
the tracks it stops working. In this case, your arm might have been the thing
that fell off the tracks. Injuries to the shoulder are common and challenging
because of the complexity and delicacy of this joint. It is supported by the
bones of the scapula, clavicle and humerus, and some ligaments. When people
fall, the most common injury we see is a fracture of the humerus bone. If you
fall on your shoulder, you may have a bump on your arm or even a hematoma.
Types
of Shoulder Injuries
As hard as it is to see these injuries in action, they're very common. While
you are at the hospital, your doctor can put a pin in your shoulder to
immobilize it. While the pins keep you from moving your arm too much, he can
still treat any fracture you may have that is causing pain. When an injury is
severe enough that the joint cannot move fully, it is referred to as an
immobile fracture. In some cases the bone may be sticking out of the skin or
pus may be coming out of swollen tissue. For better understanding here are
types of shoulder injuries:
1.
Impaction fracture
Impactions occur at the tip of the shoulder blade. When you fall on your front,
or on a corner of your body like the back of your shoulder, your body absorbs
force against the bones. The arm is especially vulnerable because there are so
many layers of soft tissue. When this happens, it causes bone
to break below skin level resulting in swelling or
bruising.
2.
Rotator cuff tear
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that help
stabilize your shoulder. There are four main muscles that make up the rotator
cuff:
If one of your muscles gets inflamed, it can weaken and tear. This is commonly
known as a "rotator cuff tear." The tendon may rupture completely or
just tear away from the bone. If a tendon becomes inflamed and painful, it is
known as "tenosynovitis." The most common cause of rotator cuff
injury is repetitive shoulder motion, such as pitching in baseball.
3.
Biceps tendon injury
The biceps muscle helps to flex your elbow and also helps to rotate your arm.
It is a thick cord of muscle on the front of your upper arm. The tendon itself
is located at the back of your elbow. The biceps tendon may get injured when
the humerus bone and other parts of your shoulder are damaged.
4.
Labrum injury
The labrum is a soft tissue structure of the shoulder that helps hold the
shoulder joint's ball in place. It consists of cartilage that grows around your
shoulder socket. The labrum acts as a rim or cup and holds the ball in place
while you move your arm. The labrum may tear either partially or completely. A
partial tear may heal on its own, but a complete tear will require surgical
intervention to repair it.
5.
Traumatic arthritis
A clinical diagnosis occurs when there is swelling, pain, and stiffness in a
joint caused by injury to the soft tissue ligaments around a joint. The arthritis
is thought to be caused by inflammation in one of the ligaments, and is often
accompanied by pain in other parts of the joint, such as your shoulder. The
cause is frequently an injury to the shoulder. In a traumatic arthritis, damage
to your bone causes swelling around the joint, which puts pressure on some
tissues that make up the ligaments surrounding the joint. When this happens
over time, some of these tissues can rupture. This can lead to more swelling as
it moves into a different part of your body.
I
fell and Hurt my Shoulder, What do I Do?
It can be confusing when an injury occurs and your arm is no longer working.
You may not know where to begin in your recovery process. First, let's talk
about what you are doing when you hurt your shoulder:
1.
Relax Your Hand
If you hurt your shoulder, you may want to move your hand and arm around. Try
to avoid doing this as much as possible. When you put pressure on a joint, it
can put stress on the muscle and make it harder for it to heal. If you do need to
get something out of a bag or pick something up, try not to use just your
shoulder for support.
2.
Ask for Medical Help
If you hurt your shoulder, you should consider contacting a doctor that specializes
in shoulder injuries. At this point, he will put a
pin in your arm to immobilize the joint. He can then treat any fractures or
other injury that you may have. Furthermore, he will prescribe you a course of
care targeted toward your particular needs.
3.
Rest and Ice
Playing it safe is very important when it comes to your injured shoulder. You
should consider getting plenty of rest. When you injure your shoulder, you may
notice that it becomes stiff. This is because your muscles are tense and tight
from the fall or injury. You can try to ease this by using cold packs on the
injured area. Applying ice to the area can help to reduce swelling and help
calm down the pain. When your body experiences an injury, it releases chemicals
to begin the healing process. One of these chemicals is called histamine, which
causes inflammation and swelling in the area where you were injured. Applying
cold can reduce the amount of histamine in your body and reduce swelling and
pain.
4.
Immobility
When you injure your shoulder, you cannot use your arm because the joint is
immobile or frozen. Your arm may be in a sling or immobilized using pins. When
you are immobile, your doctor can give you some general instructions for your
recovery. It would be best if you changed positions periodically to help keep
your joints and muscles flexible. This will minimize damage to the joint as
well as help with recovery. If you are still able to move your arm, you should
use it more and less often depending on how that feels.