Falling is one of the most common ways to injure yourself. In fact, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) reports that more than 2.8 million fall injuries are treated by hospital emergency rooms every year. Many of these include shoulder injuries, and it’s important to be aware of which shoulder injuries are most common after a fall. This is especially true if your job increases your risk of falling, you play a sport or you have balance issues. Here are two shoulder injuries that you could get from a fall: 

1. Shoulder dislocation

One of the most serious shoulder injuries you could get from a fall is a dislocated shoulder. This issue is when the ball of the upper arm bone pops out of the shoulder socket. The action of dislocation requires a lot of force, and this force can come from falling onto your outstretched hands during a fall. The force can also come from falling on your shoulder directly. 

If you dislocate your shoulder in a fall, there are several symptoms that you’ll notice. Most commonly, you’ll likely notice that your shoulder looks deformed, and this is because the ball of upper arm bone is out of place. It’s also common to feel severe pain when a shoulder has been dislocated. Another symptom you could have is not being able to move your arm; many people also report swelling and bruising with a dislocated shoulder. 

2. Rotator cuff tear

Another shoulder injury that commonly comes from a fall is a rotator cuff tear. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons, and the job of these four muscles and tendons is to keep the upper arm bone seated firmly in the shoulder socket. The impact of a fall can easily cause the rotator cuff to overstretch and tear. Also, repetitive shoulder movements could cause rotator cuff wear, and this could increase the risk of a rotator cuff tear from a fall. 

People with a rotator cuff tear typically experience several symptoms. Commonly, this injury causes a dull, aching pain in your shoulder, and the pain could make it hard to sleep or do routine tasks. In addition, rotator cuff tears can make it harder to lift your arm, and this is especially true if you’re trying to lift your arm over your head. Reaching the injured arm behind the back can also be difficult and painful with a rotator cuff tear. 

Find help with a shoulder injury from a fall at Continuum Wellness

At Continuum Wellness, we’re proud to offer highly effective physical therapy in Apache Junction, Arizona. If you’re dealing with a shoulder injury from a fall, our team has several ways we can help you. We offer free screenings that can help you learn how your shoulder has been injured. Our team can also build you a personalized treatment plan that’s intended to treat the symptoms and underlying cause of your injury. We have experience with many effective therapy techniques, and some of the techniques we can include in your plan are: 

• Joint mobilization
• Therapeutic exercises
• Manual therapy
• Electrical stimulation
• Total motion release

Take the next step to start getting our help for your injury. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.