Whats the Treatment for Dislocated Shoulder or Separated Shoulder?
Dislocated shoulders need to be treated right away. Your doctor will need to move the arm bone back into the shoulder socket. Since the joint will get more swollen and more painful by the minute, the sooner the better. Once the arm bone is back in the socket, some of the pain will go away. After the shoulder bone is repositioned, you can use conservative treatment to reduce pain and swelling. The same treatment would also be used for a separated shoulder. To treat either injury, you should: • Ice your shoulder to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 20-30 minutes every three to four hours, for two to three days or longer. • Use a sling or shoulder immobilizer to prevent further injury until you get medical treatment. Then follow the doctor’s advice about whether or not to use a sling. • Take anti-inflammatory painkillers. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS, like Advil, Aleve, or Motrin, will help with pain and swelling. However, these drugs may have side effects, like an i
