How Athletes Can Overcome Shoulder Instability

Most athletes ask a lot of their shoulder joints during competition, and if they are dealing with lingering or progressive shoulder instability, they may only be one move away from a major injury. Shoulder instability is quite common, especially among athletes who perform a lot of overhead motions or who put a lot of stress on their shoulder joint, but that doesn’t mean this feeling of instability is just something they should get used to. Not only will addressing the instability reduce their risk of a more severe injury, but it will also improve their athletic performance. Below, we take a closer look at why shoulder instability may develop in athletes and how Dr. Reznik and his team typically help stabilize the affected joint.

Causes And Symptoms Of Shoulder Instability In Athletes

As we mentioned in the introduction, repetitive stress on the shoulder joint is one of the most common factors associated with the onset of shoulder instability. Sports and exercise can be great ways to strengthen the shoulder joint and actually develop an incredibly stable shoulder joint, but poor form or excessive stress without adequate recovery time are two common factors in the development of joint instability. If you fall on an outstretched arm or receive direct contact to the shoulder complex, soft tissue damage can occur, and it’s these soft tissues that help to stabilize your shoulder joint.

Because of the mechanism of injury, shoulder instability tends to be more common in baseball players, gymnasts, swimmers, tennis players, golfers and those in contact sports like football and rugby players.

Symptoms of shoulder instability will vary based on the extent of the tissue damage and your underlying shoulder stability, but many patients report the following symptoms to different degrees:

• Shoulder pain
• “Looseness” in the shoulder
• Shoulder weakness
• Decreased mobility in the shoulder joint
• The feeling that your shoulder is giving away
• Swelling

Treating Shoulder Instability In Athletes

If you believe you or your child may be dealing with shoulder instability, head to a physician’s office or learn more about shoulder instability by picking up Dr. Reznik’s latest publication, The Knee & Shoulder Handbook. Both are great resources that will provide you with more information about shoulder instability and the best way to treat the condition.

Most shoulder specialists will assess shoulder instability during a physical exam by talking with the patient about their symptoms, the activities they pursue and by having the patient perform a couple simple movements that will showcase the stability of the shoulder. Depending on the suspected extent of the damage, your doctor may also order an X-ray, MRI or similar imaging scan to get an inside look at the soft tissues that stabilize the shoulder joint or to rule out the possibility of other injuries.

The good news is that most cases of shoulder instability respond well to a combination of conservative measures, so there’s a good chance that you can manage the condition at home without the need for surgery. While an individualized care plan may be helpful depending on your specific sport and return to activity goals, oftentimes a treatment plan involves a combination of the following techniques:

• Short term rest and activity avoidance
• Ice/Heat therapy
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Physical therapy

The first three points will help to manage your symptoms, but it’s physical therapy that will really drive home your recovery and your ability to return to sport without fear of a setback. Dr. Reznik’s book can help explain what type of therapy exercises you should be pursuing and what signs you should be looking for that suggest your shoulder is becoming more stable. You can also work with a physical therapist in your area to achieve positive results, but many people feel they can achieve similar results by educating themselves about the condition and easing into a therapy plan of their own.

It’s imperative that you pursue these non-operative treatment techniques at an early stage, because left untreated, there’s a decent chance that your instability will worsen or you could suffer a more severe injury directly tied to your instability, like a subluxation or shoulder dislocation. These injuries may need surgery to address, which will keep you away from your sport for longer and lead to higher medical costs, so take care of your shoulder when you notice the first signs of instability.

For more information about shoulder instability in athletes or the best way to care for different knee or shoulder injuries, reach out to Dr. Reznik or pick up a copy of The Knee & Shoulder Handbook today by following this link.