“I cannot trust my shoulder”
“My shoulder feels unstable”
“My shoulder was popped out and back by itself”
“I can dislocate my shoulder by myself”
“My shoulder clicks all the time”
“My shoulder feels weak”
“My shoulder is wobbly”
“My shoulder fatigues really quickly”
Have you experienced the symptoms above? Does it sound like your story? Then you may have shoulder instability.
Shoulder instability is a lack of ability to maintain the appropriate joint position, and It is a condition that many clinicians overlook and can miss.
Shoulder instability can be triggered by numerous factors:
- Born with a flexible shoulder (people in this category often say they are double-jointed)
- Fell on their shoulders or hands
- Overhead athletes – gymnasts, baseball pitcher, cricket player, volleyball player, etc
- Gym training, especially upper body
- Your dog pulled the lead
In shoulder instability, the shoulder moves more than normal, placing stress on the surrounding structures. Therefore, it is not uncommon to have other shoulder pathologies at the same time, such as rotator cuff problems.
What can we do for the unstable shoulder?
Rehabilitation is known to be an effective way to manage shoulder instability. If you are a young athlete and just dislocated your shoulder, that may be a different story. However, if this is not the case, you are likely to improve your shoulder with rehabilitation.
There are numerous treatments you can receive from your physiotherapist:
TAPING:
MANUAL THERAPY:
ROTATOR CUFF STRENGTHENING & CONTROL EXERCISES:
WEIGHT-BEARING EXERCISE:
Physiotherapists in Health on Grange are all capable of assessing your shoulder to identify what shoulder conditions you have, and we can also offer treatments accordingly.
If you have or suspect you have shoulder instability and if you have not tried the treatments above, give it a go! You will not be disappointed!
We are looking forward to helping you improve your shoulder, thus getting confidence in your shoulder.