A broken shoulder can cause severe discomfort, reduced function, and even diminished quality of life if left untreated. At Woodlands Hand To Shoulder Foot and Ankle Center in Shenandoah, Sugarland, and Humble, Texas, the team of integrative medicine specialists offers broken shoulder solutions ranging from nonsurgical care to complex shoulder surgery. Book an appointment online or by phone today.
A broken shoulder is a fracture in one or more of the following bones.
Shoulder fractures are either nondisplaced, where the bone still lines up or displaced, where the bone doesn't align anymore.
The most common causes of broken shoulders include falls, auto accidents, sports injuries, and direct trauma.
A broken shoulder usually causes serious problems, including:
Fractures can sometimes occur alongside nerve and muscle damage and cause additional issues such as arm weakness, numbness, or tingling.
All broken shoulders require treatment. A fracture can have difficulty healing if left untreated, or the bone may heal in the wrong position. Both increase your risk of post-traumatic arthritis in the future.
Fortunately, the Woodlands Hand To Shoulder Foot and Ankle Center team can expertly treat shoulder fractures as soon as they happen to help you avoid long-term damage and function problems.
Nondisplaced fractures — about 8 in 10 shoulder fractures — usually respond to nonsurgical care. The team commonly prescribes a sling or other type of shoulder immobilization along with physical therapy to help you heal safely. Most people recover within 4-6 weeks.
Displaced shoulder fractures usually require surgical intervention. Your surgeon may use internal fixation devices, like pins, plates, and screws to repair your bone.
After surgical repair, you'll wear an immobilization device to keep bone alignment intact as it heals. As with nonsurgical shoulder treatment, you need physical therapy to regain normal shoulder function after you recover.
If you have a rotator cuff injury along with your shoulder fracture, your surgeon can repair that damage as well.
Woodlands Hand To Shoulder Foot and Ankle Center offers all-encompassing broken shoulder care that puts your wellness first. If you think you might have a shoulder fracture, call the office nearest to you or schedule an appointment online today.
