Sprains of the Shoulder and Elbow

How Sprains Affect Shoulders and Elbows

The joints in your shoulder and elbow are unique. Because they help your hands move throughout space, they need to have more mobility and flexibility than any other joints in the body. They can rotate, tilt, and bend in more directions than any other joints, including the hips and knees.

But all that mobility comes at a price. Those joints can be less stable, and the ligaments that hold the joints together can be easily injured during work or recreational activities.

Certain athletes are more likely to experience shoulder and elbow sprains than others. These athletes include:

  • Gymnasts
  • Wrestlers
  • Tennis players
  • Baseball players
  • Volleyball players

Athletes that fall onto the shoulder or elbow frequently can also be at a higher risk. Falls or repetitive motion can sprain the ligaments or even dislocate the shoulder, leading to long-term instability.

Signs of Shoulder or Elbow Instability

Most people can tell when they are experiencing instability or a sprain. They may experience:

  • Pain in the joint
  • A slipping feeling when moving the joint
  • Limited range of motion in the joint

Treatment for Instability or Dislocations

If the ligaments in the shoulder or elbow are damaged, it’s important to let them rest for as long as possible. You may need to take a break from activity or wear a splint. Luckily, it’s easy to tell when your ligament is healed because the pain will usually go away completely. If you are still experiencing pain, you still need to rest the joint.

Dislocations require care from an orthopedic surgeon. Dislocations are indications of major instability and can happen over and over again, continuing to damage not only the ligament, but the joint as well. An orthopedic surgeon can identify what ligament is injured and help repair it.

More serious injuries to the ligaments sometimes require surgery to sew the ligaments back together or reattach those ligaments to the bones. In these cases, surgery may be the only way to restore function and stability in the joint.

New arthroscopic approaches to surgery may have faster healing times, smaller incisions, and fewer risks than open surgeries. However, it is still best to try to avoid surgery altogether by giving shoulder and elbow sprain the right amount of time to rest and heal.

Thomas E. Fithian, MD, F.A.A.O.S.: Dr. Thomas Fithian has been providing caring, high-quality orthopaedic treatment to area residents since 1984. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical school honor society. After completing his surgical residency training at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and the New York Orthopaedic Hospital, he remained for an additional one-year fellowship in shoulder surgery with the renowned surgeon, Dr. Charles Neer. Since completing that fellowship, Dr. Fithian has been fascinated by the unique problems of the shoulder.