How to Fix a Dislocated Shoulder: Dealing with a Common Surfing Injury

Shoulder injuries are common among surfers. Whether you are paddling, maneuvering, or taking off, among other surfing techniques, your shoulders are often involved, making it prone to accidents. Among others, one thing that can happen is that they will be dislocated.

A dislocated shoulder can be painful and uncomfortable. At its worst, it can keep you out of the water for weeks and the doctor might require you to refrain from strenuous physical activity. This can be a frustrating experience!

If you want to know how to fix a dislocated shoulder, keep on reading and learn from the tips we’ll be sharing. We’ll also give you some tips on how to avoid the problem.

How to Fix a Dislocated Shoulder: Dealing with a Common Surfing Injury

What is a Dislocated Shoulder?

A Step-by-Step Guide to Fix a Dislocated Shoulder

The Stimson Technique

The Cunningham Technique

The Boss-Holzach-Matter Technique

Tips to Avoid Dislocated Shoulder

Conclusion

What is a Dislocated Shoulder?

First, you should understand the anatomy of your shoulder. It has three main bones – upper arm bone, collarbone, and shoulder blade. Your upper arm bone has a ball-shaped top part. It has a cup-like socket that connects it to the shoulder blade. When this ball pops out of a socket, your shoulder will be dislocated. If you suffer from this, the dislocation can be partial or complete. Plus, in 95% of the cases, it will be a forward dislocation.

As soon as the shoulder is dislocated, you will feel the pain. You will be unable to move your joint or arm. There will also be bruising, weakness, and numbness. After a few days, the shoulder will be swollen and the injury can worsen if not addressed as soon as possible. You can also suffer from long-term pain and inflammation.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Fix a Dislocated Shoulder

After dislocating your shoulder, the first thing to do is to get out of the water. Ask for help from someone if the injury is extreme and you cannot move. Once you are on land, there are different things that you can do to fix the problem. In this section, we’ll look at the various non-medical; techniques that can prove to be promising in terms of their effectiveness.

Via: https://stabmag.com/news/injuries-and-excellence-define-a-thumping-day-at-the-box-maragaret-river-pro-wsl/

The Stimson Technique

Recognized as one of the best ways to fix a dislocated shoulder, below are the easy steps on how you can do this.

• The patient lies on the bed facing down.
• The injured arm will hang from one side of the bed. The bed should be high enough so that the hanging arm will not touch the floor.
• Let the patient take a pain reliever or muscle relaxant.
• Look for an object that weighs five to ten pounds and tie it to the hanging arm of the patient. As an alternative, ask someone to gently pull the hanging arm.
• Massage the shoulder muscles to reduce spasms and for relaxation.
• Using two fingers, gradually push the shoulder blade in such a way that it will be moving towards the spine. When you hear a sound, this is an indication that the dislocated shoulder is now back at its original position.

The Cunningham Technique

This is another easy but effective method on how to fix a dislocated shoulder. If you are the patient, you will need another person to help you carry out the steps that are briefly mentioned below:

• Stay as relaxed as possible. This process will require coordination between the patient and the one who will be doing the procedure.
• Sit in a chair and keep your back straight. The elbow, on the other hand, should be in a 90-degree position. Take a deep breath.
• The person performing the technique, meanwhile, will sit opposite the patient placing the elbow on the hand. 
• Massage the trapezius muscles, deltoid, and biceps. This might take a while until a sound is heard, which is a sign that the dislocated shoulder has been fixed.              

The Boss-Holzach-Matter Technique

This is different from the two techniques mentioned above in the sense that this is a self-assisted way to fix a dislocated shoulder. Meaning, you will do this on your own and there is no need to ask for a helping hand.

• Sit on a bed with one leg outside of the platform. This is the leg from the side of the uninjured shoulder. Meaning, if the dislocated shoulder is the right, it should be the left leg that is hanging outside the bed.
• Bend your knee on the injured shoulder side.
• Hold the knee with both your hands.
• As much as possible, keep the thigh and the arms close.
• Gradually lean your head backward. Stay as relaxed as possible while you are doing this.
• Extend your arms and neck.
• Repeat the steps mentioned above until you notice that the shoulder is already back in its original position.

Tips to Avoid Dislocated Shoulder

As they say, prevention is better than cure. With this, to avoid dislocating your shoulder when you are surfing, below are some important tips to keep in mind:

Via: https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/health--fitness-shoulders--advice-on-how-to-keep-shoulders-flexible-strong-and-injury-free_40541/

• Make it a habit to exercise regularly. Your routine should include workouts that will help in building stronger shoulders. When you have well-built shoulders, there is a lesser likelihood that it will pop and dislocate. Be careful about your exercises. If you don’t follow the right techniques, this can also contribute to a shoulder injury.
• Master your surfing techniques. Practice makes perfect. Even on land and when it is not surfing season, learn the basic skills, such as for paddling and maneuvering. If you know the right techniques, it is easier to prevent shoulder injuries.
• Maintain the right position when you are on the water. Dislocated shoulders can happen when you have the wrong position on the board and when you exert too much pressure on your shoulder.
• If you are clueless and worried, it is best to consult with a medical professional as soon as possible. Do not leave it to fate. Act immediately if you or anyone else cannot fix your dislocated shoulder. The longer it remains unattended by a doctor, the worse the situation will become. Not to mention, the pain can be excruciating, and this will also limit your movements.

Conclusion

No one wants to have a shoulder injury. This is a nightmare that surfers wouldn’t wish to happen to them. With this, you must know how to fix a dislocated shoulder, which is possible by taking note of the things above. As discussed, there are different techniques on how to do this. It is best to ask for a helping hand. Make sure that the person knows what he or she is doing. Otherwise, there is a risk of making the injury worse instead of solving the problem