scared2death

[babyhuey]

my shoulder pops in and out of joint at will. my hand is numb 98% of the time. Lastnight, my shoulder was in extreme pain. my hand "locked up" i could not open my fist. i need to know what can cause this. is it nerve damage? a pinched nerve? what? feed back would be much appriciated.

[Godofredo MD]

Hi.

Has your shoulder instability been evaluated by an orthopedist? Can you move your shoulder in every possible direction (its range of motion).

Nerve impingement or injury is very likely in the setting of shoulder dislocations. Aside from that, there could be rotator cuff injuries as well as bursitis as complications of these repetitive shoulder dislocations.

You should immediately have your condition checked out by an orthopedist. In the meantime, you could take over-the-counter pain medications to help ease the pain. You should also try to have your shoulder immobilized by using a splint and sling.

Good luck.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

You may be having a recurrent shoulder dislocation/subluxation. A dislocation is when the bone pops out of the joint and there is a complete displacement of the joint surfaces. A subluxation is a partial dislocation.

You might have had an injury to the shoulder.

The dislocation/subluxation causes surrounding nerves to get pinched, and all subsequent symptoms appear.

I would suggest you consult an Orthopedic Surgeon.

Regards