The process of “popping” a dislocated shoulder back into place is called reducing the shoulder. This must be done with great care to avoid damaging tissues, nerves, and blood vessels in and around the shoulder joint.
This article explains the symptoms of this injury and how to attempt to fix a dislocated shoulder on your own in an emergency.
Determining If You Have a Dislocated Shoulder
It’s difficult to be confident that you have a dislocated shoulder. The dislocation can be partial (subluxation) or complete (luxation). As such, signs of this injury may be overt or subtle.
Common symptoms of a shoulder dislocation include:
Severe shoulder pain Swelling and bruising of your shoulder or upper arm Numbness and/or weakness in your arm, neck, hand, or fingers Trouble moving your arm Your arm looks to be out of place Muscle spasms in your shoulder
If you think you may have a dislocated shoulder, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. However, if no medical help is available, you can proceed with trying to reduce the shoulder—albeit with extreme caution.
How to Pop a Shoulder Back Into Place
Fixing a dislocated shoulder on your own poses some challenges, including having to perform the procedure on yourself while you are injured and not having the benefit of medications used by healthcare providers to make the procedure a bit easier.
Permanent nerve injury Avascular necrosis (bone death due to impaired blood flow) Loss of joint mobility and range of motion
Following these steps for how to fix a dislocated shoulder exactly can help you have the best outcome. (You can also use them as you help someone correct their shoulder dislocation.)
1) Lie Down and Relax
Reducing a joint is near-impossible if the muscles around the shoulder are tense and seized. Healthcare providers commonly use anti-inflammatory injections or muscle relaxants before a reduction to help with this.
Since those options are not available to you, the first and most crucial step in fixing a dislocated shoulder is relaxing as much as possible before the reduction.
Lie on your back in a comfortable position for several minutes, taking long, deep inhalations and exhalations rather than breathing rapidly. (If you’re helping someone who is injured, it often helps to coach them to follow your breathing patterns until they settle down.)
Do not proceed if there is any screaming, panic, or chaos. Instead, create a calm environment, removing anyone causing undue stress, anxiety, or agitation.
2) Reach Over Your Head
To begin, slowly extend the injured arm out to the side, raising the arm gently and bending the elbow so that the palm touches the top of the head.
A helper can support the arm, although this is not necessary. Movements should be slow; pain is a sign to slow things down.
Gently rotate the hand behind the head.
3) Move Your Hand Toward Your Neck
Gradually move the hand down toward the nape of the neck (as if trying to scratch your neck).
4) Reach For Your Opposite Shoulder
Next, move the hand toward the opposite shoulder. As you do this, the shoulder should pop back into place. If it does, you should feel immediate relief. Again, do not push, pull, or tug the arm.
If the joint doesn’t pop back instantly, take several moments to relax, breathe in slowly and deeply, and try again. When fully relaxed, the chances of a successful reduction are good.
5) Carefully Position Your Arm and Get Medical Attention
When the shoulder is back in position, keep the upper arm to the side of the body. Then, fold the forearm across the abdomen in a 90-degree position.
If it is comfortable, place a towel or cloth under the injured forearm to create a sling, tying the ends over the opposite shoulder (one end to the front and one end to the back).
Seek medical assistance immediately.
Who Needs to Know How to Fix a Dislocated Shoulder?
If you have read this far, you have likely already found yourself with a potentially dislocated shoulder.
While knowing how to fix a shoulder dislocation is not knowledge that everyone really needs to know in advance, it is particularly helpful for those who engage in activities in remote areas of wilderness where help could be days away.
This might include:
HikersKayakersRock climbersOutdoor athletes
So you are prepared should this happen again, consider printing this article out and stowing it with your gear. Or pass it along to someone in your life who might find themselves needing these instructions one day.
Summary
A shoulder reduction is a medical procedure that you should only attempt on your own when medical care is unavailable (for example, on a hike in a remote area). Relax, reach your arm over your head, touch your hand to the bottom of your neck, reach for the opposite shoulder, and the shoulder should pop back into place.
After you reduce your shoulder, seek follow-up medical attention as soon as you can.
A Word From Verywell
If self-reducing a dislocated shoulder is necessary, the keywords to remember are “slow” and “relaxed.” Pain is a sign that you are either moving too quickly, the muscles are too tense, or there may be other injuries that you are unaware of.
It is far better to take as much time as reasonably needed before performing a reduction. Unless there is extreme pain, it often helps for the injured party to lie in a comfortable position, chat, and allow any panic to subside. A slow respiration rate is usually the sign that you are ready to proceed.
After the shoulder is reduced, seek medical help even if everything seems 100% OK. There may be other problems that need tending to that only a doctor can diagnose. A dislocated shoulder may also require pain control and shoulder rehabilitation efforts.
