Injury Centre | Shoulder | Separated Shoulder | Dislocated Shoulder
Shoulder
The shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket joint and is a freely moving joint. The shoulder joint can move in multiple directions therefore it is less stable than other joints and is more susceptible to injury. Sports such as football and rugby often see discloated shouldrer injuries. Dislocation of the shoulder joint is common and occurs when the top part of arm bone slips out of its socket.
There are four muscle tendons that connect to the shoulder that make up the rotator cuff. Together these four tendons stabilize the upper arm bone to the shoulder socket and allow the wide range of motion in the shoulder.
The shoulder is at risk for injury in many sports. The rotator cuff can be injured through overuse or through trauma. Rotator cuff tendinitis is common in racket sports including squash, badminton, tennis.
Rotator cuff tears can occur if the tendons are overloaded in weight lifting or football. There are ligaments which hold the shoulder bone in its socket. The shoulder has a very large range of motion, and needs some flexibility of the ligaments to allow for that range. But if the ligaments become stretched or torn, this can lead to instability. A mild amount of instability will allow the shoulder to slip part way out of socket - subluxation.
When the shoulder comes completely out of its socket this is called a dislocation. A dislocation can occur with nearly all sport activities. Another part of the shoulde injured is the acromioclavicular or AC joint. The clavicle or collarbone meets the shoulder at the acromion where a small joint is found. This joint can be injured in a fall onto the outside part of the shoulder. This type of Injury to the AC joint is called an AC separation. AC separations occur in contact sports such as rugby or football.
Shoulder Injuries:
AC joint Separation (acromio-clavicular joint)
Shoulder Excercises
The following exercises can strengthen the rotator cuff. Increasing cuff strength can decrease symptoms and effects of instability, impingement and tendinitis, as well as preventing injury.
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