CONDITION: Shoulder Subluxation (Instability)

DESCRIPTION:
A shoulder subluxation or instability involves a temporary, partial dislocation of the shoulder joint. The shoulder is made up of a ball-and-socket joint in which the ball of the upper arm bone is normally held in the socket of the shoulder blade by a group of ligaments that connect to the bones. In a shoulder subluxation, the ball of the upper arm bone slips partially out of the shoulder socket.

How does a shoulder subluxation develop?
A shoulder subluxation usually occurs in one of three types of patients: those with a prior injury to the shoulder, those who overuse their shoulder, and those who are double jointed. Patients who have sustained a prior shoulder dislocation often develop chronic instability this area. The ligaments that support the shoulder are usually torn when the dislocation occurs. If these ligaments heal too loosely, the shoulder will be prone to repeat dislocations and episodes of instability. Athletes or those who compete in sports that involve overhead activities such as volleyball players, swimmers, and baseball pitchers may have a loose shoulder or multidirectional instability (MDI). They will stretch out the shoulder capsule and ligaments, and may develop chronic shoulder instability. And finally, patients with certain connective tissue disorders may have loose shoulder joints. In addition, those with a condition that causes joint laxity, or double-jointedness, may have joints that are too loose throughout their bodies, which can lead to shoulder instability and even dislocation.

What are the symptoms of shoulder subluxation?
Symptoms of a shoulder subluxation include the feeling that the shoulder has gone "in and out of joint", a “looseness” in the shoulder joint or, in some cases, pain, weakness or numbness in the shoulder or arm.

Conventional medical treatments may help relieve the symptoms of shoulder subluxation, but they do not address the root of the problem. By strengthening structural weaknesses in the body, as natural medicine treatments like Prolotherapy do, pain associated with shoulder subluxation may be alleviated permanently.

Discover why we believe that natural medicine treatments are the best way to treat shoulder subluxation.

Learn about the treatments for Shoulder Subluxation (Instability)