The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body! Unfortunately, this freedom of movement comes at the expense of stability. A shoulder dislocation occurs when the external force exceeds the internal force created by your shoulder to withstand that force. This results in the ball off the shoulder slipping out of its socket. In some cases, the ball of the shoulder will slip forward and you will know that it has happened. Sometimes, the shoulder will pop back into place but in extreme circumstances, you will need to go to the emergency department to have it relocated. 

A shoulder dislocation will be managed conservatively through exercise rehabilitation or surgically. The decision will be based on many factors such as your age, whether you have done it before, the type of sport you play, whether there was bony damage when the ball slipped from the socket, and your fears around redislocation. 

Whether you opt for surgical or conservative management, your rehab will be based on progressing through a loading continuum. If you decide to manage it conservatively, your risk of re-dislocation will be high if returning to a contact sport so we need to make sure your rehab is perfect! There will be a lot of movements that cause apprehension and fear, but we will use plenty of objective data and testing to ensure that the level of exercise you are performing is safe and the next natural progression. If you are playing a contact sport, we will get to a stage where we are doing high level exercises that put a lot of force through the joint like kipping pull ups, snatches, handstand pushups, and heavy medicine ball throws. Exposing your shoulder to high loads with high velocities will bulletproof your shoulder and assist