When a shoulder joint is forced apart during an accident, an orthopedic doctor at the emergency room will attempt to reset the joint back into place. It's likely that no surgery will be required, but there is still healing to do. The person will go through several weeks of rest and physical therapy to return their shoulder back to its normal function. Here is what you can expect during the recovery from a dislocated shoulder.

What Was Damaged in Your Shoulder

Your upper arm fits into a socket made of bone in the shoulder. To hold this in place, a ring of tough cartilage, called the rotator cuff, surrounds the joint. This holds the bones together while allowing the arm to rotate throughout all of its normal positions. A dislocation of the shoulder forces the joint apart by stretching the rotator cuff. It may produce small tears in the cartilage.

A dislocated shoulder often does not need surgery to repair the tears, but the rotator cuff still needs to heal to be able to hold your shoulder securely in place. Cartilage takes longer to heal than muscles and other tissue. During that time, your shoulder is at risk of injury and another dislocation. Slow and steady progress is key to recovering from this type of injury successfully.

The First Few Days of Recovery

You'll be sent home with your arm in a special sling that holds it tightly against the body. This keeps the shoulder in a neutral position so there is less stress on it as it heals. The orthopedic doctor will have you rest your arm for a few days while the inflammation goes down in your shoulder and the tiny tears in the rotator cuff begin to heal. During this time, you'll keep your arm in the sling, only taking it out to bathe. You'll then have a follow up appointment with your doctor and get instructions to begin physical therapy.

Regaining Movement in the Shoulder

The initial physical therapy is to regain the normal movement of the shoulder joint. The muscles in your shoulder will have relaxed enough to work with them by now. But they will be stiff from disuse and need to be slowly stretched back out to their normal lengths. The physical therapist will start out by moving your arm through its normal motions for you. As the muscles relax, the therapist will have you move your shoulder itself through the motions.

It will take several sessions to get back full range of motion in your shoulder. During this time, you'll keep your arm in the sling when not doing physical therapy. You will be able to start using your arm for light activities while keeping it in the sling.

Strengthening the Shoulder Muscles

Once you can move your arm through nearly normal range of motion, the physical therapist will work with you to strengthen the muscles in and around your shoulder. This is important for keeping your shoulder safe from future injuries as well as to help you move your shoulder. The therapist will have you work with resistance machines and free weights to gradually build up the muscles. You'll be given exercises to do at home between sessions.

During this time, you'll be able to take your arm out of the sling and begin using it more in daily activities. You will still need to be cautious, though. The rotator cuff is still healing and you could injure your shoulder again if you push it to do more than it is ready for. Contact a company like DeSoto Memorial Hospital for more info.