How I reset a dislocated shoulder

I dislocated it a while back in a fall. Occasionally, when I move it the wrong way, it will pop out of its socket. Here is how I reset it myself.

Sit down.

Place the elbow (of the same arm w/ the dislocation) between the thighs.

RELAX the shoulder muscles and keep them relaxed. That seems to be important.

Clasp the hands together. Then use your hands to push the arm, on it's pivot with the elbow between the thighs, to the outside away from you.

If I'm relaxed, it will pop back into its socket. It doesn't hurt near as bad as the dislocation. In face, it's a great relief.

Now I have no degree in medicine. I just figured out how to do this on my own because I didnt want to go back into the hospital. I had to wait for a long time and was in some serious pain, and no way was I going back unless I really had to.

If anyone with a medical background has a problem with this method, or any refinements, please speak up. I'm all ears.

This is a joke right?
I thought I was the only one dumb enough to try and do that myself
I used to use the method Mel Gibson's character uses in Lethal Weapon; just slamming it against a door frame.
Not smart.
Neither is setting it yourself.
Go to a chiropractor or physician of choice.
If this is a joke then you got me





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[edit: removed unnecessary quote of entire previous post]
Quoting - Please review this link

[edit on 28-12-2009 by 12m8keall2c]

A mate of mine 15 years back used to slam his shoulder against the wall when it popped. Excessiving sk8ing had taken his toll on him

It always worked for him.

I've had a few of them over the years from unplanned dismounts from bikes.

Did they make you hold weights while they took x-rays? That's really pleasant.

What the doctors always told me is that unless you really rip it up (stage 3-4+ dislocation), they usually don't do anything and just wait and see. They never heal in exactly the same configuration as before they were rearranged so sometimes there are problems. I've been lucky enough not to need any follow up work but my orthopedic surgeon made it sound like it happens all the time and is no big deal.

You might want to make an appointment with one and see what they say. Surgery is a heck of a lot easier on the patient these days and it might save you a lot of trouble.

I have just one word for all those who fear broken and/or dislocated limbs: COMFREY.

a herb?

to relieve the pain I take it?

reply to post by dragonsmusic

This is a joke right?

No it isnt.

I hate hospitals. The only way I will go into one again is on a gurney, while unconscious. By then, iI will have lost the ability to protest.

I just posted it because it works for me, and this being a survival forum, when it happens you may not have a doctor around.

holding a heavy weight while lying face down on a flat surface, with your arm hanging freely down with the weight but not touching the ground will or can relocate the popped shoulder.
sometimes seeing the doctor is the only and best way to get the arm back in place for correct alignment through x rays.

Thats what i used to do. I dislocated iot playing aussie rules football, and when it came out I would pop it back in and keep playing

Now, I need surgery as Ive chipped the shoulder bone, and my shoulder comes out too easily.

I need the ligaments tightened to keep in place.

From experience, in no way should you attempt to put a disloacted limb back in by yourself, where possible. Even sports trainers will not put a dislocated joint back in these days. You should always go to a doctor, otherwise you are going to end up with the pain and discomfort that I have now, and probably the same surgery too

[edit on 26/12/2009 by OzWeatherman]

reply to post by PSUSA


My right shoulder was once dislocated as a child, it is not as painful as you might be led to believe but the long term physical consequences can carry on well into adult hood, manifesting as a weirdly felt minor weakness.
For me I was lucky in that as I was carried to the ambulance I felt a horrible hot, wetly clicking “shluck” sound, an instant of horrible pain in the shoulder that travelled up the side of my neck and that was that, my shoulder fixed itself.

Throughout adult hood my right shoulder has been more prone to injury than it should and in the gym I favour my left shoulder when on weights training not because I expect my right shoulder to give before my left but because I know it will, and all because I blew my shoulder all those years ago.

Mel Gibson and dislocated shoulder dynamics = more Hollywood nonsense.

Well in a survival situation, you won't be able to go to the hospital. Lucky for me, I have Holistic practitioner/Chiropractor in my survival group.

All I did was bend over to let the arm hang and then twisted it, using its own muscles, towards my body and it popped in.

reply to post by watcher73


That's what the doctor did for mine too. He put a weight in my hand and they just waited.

I have been trained to set dislocations, among other things, but this training is technically only applicable in a wilderness setting ("wilderness setting" presumes 2+ hours away from conventional medical services.)
These are the WMA protocols: (specific to your question read page 8, protocol 5)...

Field Protocol

ETA:
I would never advocate setting dislocations on one's own unless absolutely necessary... If possible, always seek medical help.



[edit on 26-12-2009 by LadySkadi]

I also have a friend who's reset his own shoulder multiple times.

It put him in excruciating pain until he reset it. But it apparently pops out every now and then for no apparent reason so I would not be surprised if he made it worse...

Originally posted by Fett Pinkus
a herb?

to relieve the pain I take it?

No. It is the absolutely best remedy to accelerate the healing of broken bones.
In fact, its old folk name is - "knit-bone".

And I can tell you from personal experience: it works like a charm, even in cases of bone necrosis.

It's true.





[edit on 28-12-2009 by Vanitas]

Interesting that people talk about these things...My shoulder has had a rough life...dislocated 3 different times and has to have an anterior bankart reconstruction 2 x's...that is a complete reconstruction. Then I had arthoscopic surgery on it after that. The Surgeon stated that I had the WORST shoulder he had ever worked on(1st time on the table was just under 7hrs). The years of abuse had done a lot of damage. When I say 3 times that is only the tramatic times....I'm not counting the times it rolled out when I turned over on it in bed or lifted a cup of joe and my shoulder gave out.

I guess the moral of the story is...GO SEE A DOC!!! I wish I would have went after the first time...not waited several years and much more damage later. I wish I wasn't traveling for work right now or I would scan some of the pics and post them.

But as far as reducing a dislocated shoulder the best method takes 2 other people...lay the person on the ground and have one by the feet to pull on the arm...straight down towards the ankle. Not hard but enough to remove the pressure. This is where the pain comes from. The Humerus is being pulled on by the deltoid muscles and many times this creates an impingement on the nerves(there is a bundle of these nerves that run from the side of your neck down through the arm). The bright flashes of light and excruciating pain is caused from this. Next have the other person stationed at the head of the casualty and feed (a long sleeve shirt works well) a long piece of fabric between the body and arm. Now when this is complete the person at the head will pull both ends of the material in the opposite direction of the person at the feet. This is done very slow and with very little pressure.(this gives the muscles time to relax and makes things much easier on the patient as well as the care givers) As soon as the pressure is applied by the lower person, you will see a total look of relief on the casualty's face. Then as the person up top begins to pull is where the magic happens...The humerus has been pulled away from the impinged nerves and the fabric actually pulls the end of the bone out and away from the body and allows it to slip back into place. The whole process is very simple and (i cant say pain free) near painless. Then lay the arm across the midsection at a 90 degree angle to the body and tape the hell out of it.

I'm not counting the times it rolled out when I turned over on it in bed

Thats happened to me a few times over the years. Not fun. But it's never just popped out for no reason like it did to you.

What you wrote is more or less how it was reset at the hospital, except they used a bed sheet. It took them a while to do it. And it was painless. The pain was from the dislocation, not the resetting of it.

I have dislocated my shoulder 4 different times. It is always the same one. 3 of those times I placed it back in to the socket. I imagined as if the movement had to be done like those GI Joe action figures. You know when you pull the limbs, and the sockets pull in and out. Seriously.

It helps, and it worked for me. It always depends on the injury because you cannot place it back using the same technique someone else has had. I have used different ones on all the times it happened. The one the doctor's used was intricate, but it seemed they needed a few nurses and the doctor. The way I have done it is simple, but you have to place a bulky, soft object under the shoulder, because this helps the shoulder return. The most important part of the whole thing is to relax. It hurts if you leave it for too long, but the first time it happened, I did not even realize it had happened until minutes later. It hurts after it is in and the following days.

The most important thing about it is that, it has been almost two years since it happened. I am returning strength and mobility by always keeping it active. The is the most important thing for survival. Not letting your limbs rot away when you can help it.

I dislocated mine while playing softball, stood up and left arm swinging loosely with no control, a football player came over and showed me how... it worked, went to Doctor next morning, said I got it back in fine, 20 years later no problem.

I put my arm against my rib cage and held it firm by grabbing left elbow, pushed up and shrugged my shoulder at same time, it popped in and I went into shock for about 20 minutes for rest of game.

Worked for me.