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Shoulder Instability
The shoulder trades stability for range — it moves further than any other joint, and is correspondingly easier to dislocate. Instability runs from a shoulder that has fully dislocated to one that merely feels like it might in certain positions. Rehabilitation is the mainstay, and for many people it is enough; the deciding factors are age, sport and how many times it has happened.
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Does this sound like you?
Most people have several of these, not all of them.
- A feeling that the shoulder will slip out in certain positions
- Apprehension with the arm out to the side and rotated back
- Clunking or a sensation of the joint moving where it should not
- Aching after activity rather than sharp pain during it
- Pins and needles down the arm after an episode
Why it happens
- A dislocation, usually a fall on an outstretched arm or a tackle
- Repeated overhead sport — throwing, swimming, racquet sports
- Naturally increased joint laxity, which some people simply have
- Weakness through the cuff and shoulder blade muscles
- A previous dislocation, which considerably raises the odds of another
What we would do about it
Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.
- Rotator cuff and shoulder blade strengthening, the foundation of the whole program
- Position-specific control work, so the shoulder is stable where it actually fails
- Progressive return to overhead and contact load in stages
- Technique changes for the sport involved
- Taping or bracing during the return phase where useful
- Referral for a surgical opinion after repeated dislocations, particularly in younger people
See a doctor first if
- Your pain followed a significant injury
- It is getting worse rather than settling
- It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.
A shoulder that has gone out once is likely to again
The strongest protection against a repeat is strength and control in the positions where it fails. That is a structured program, not a set of generic exercises. Ask a question first, or call us on 0403 907 587.
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Other shoulder conditions we treat
Related reading: injury to the joint on top of the shoulder and cuff pain.
General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Shoulder Instability on Physiopedia.
