England starlet suffers pain of shoulder dislocation

England international Theo Walcott will be out of action for at least three months after dislocating his shoulder.

The 19 year old winger fell awkwardly during a training session in Berlin before England’s friendly game against Germany on 18th November.

After seeing a specialist the following day and undergoing surgery on 20th November, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed he will be without the starlet for at least three months.

Walcott was stretchered away from the training session in blankets and taken to hospital where the shoulder was put back in place.

It is the fourth time that Walcott has had a shoulder injury, he had surgery for an identical injury on his left shoulder in 2006 and has only just recovered from another shoulder problem suffered at Stoke in early November.

He also missed the Under 21 Championships last year after undergoing corrective surgery in March on his left shoulder, which is now pinned.

Although not a long term injury, Walcott suffers from a hereditary shoulder problem with weakened arm ligaments, which leaves him vulnerable to shoulder injuries.

Shoulder Dislocation

Symptoms of shoulder dislocation

Your patient will feel a severe and sudden pain in the shoulder if it is dislocated, and the pain will persist if the shoulder is left out of place. If the bone pops back in place, the pain will lessen, but it will still remain painful for a while. As the shoulder dislocates, the patient will have a sensation of it being out of place. This shoulder injury will be obvious by a deformity, a gap in the shoulder. If the shoulder relocates, your patient may still feel a loose gap below the top of the shoulder.

Causes of shoulder dislocation

Dislocation at a joint means a bone comes out of its socket causing pain and deformity. The shoulder is a ball and socket joint, and when dislocated, the humerus (arm bone) is pulled out of the socket if the soft tissue (ligaments and tendons) are not strong enough to keep it in place. This type of shoulder injury can occur when the arm is outstretched, if your patient has fallen on their hands awkwardly or during a violent throwing action.

Treatment for shoulder dislocation

When the injury occurs, the arm should be supported. Your patients should seek medical advice immediately. After specialist treatment, you should help them with gentle strengthening exercises to maintain mobility in the shoulder joint. You should also advise and provide manual therapy, electrotherapy, a strengthening rehabilitation programme and advice on safely returning to sport. Surgery, to restore stability in to the shoulder, may be necessary in severe cases. On return to training or physical activity, you should recommend that your patient wears a shoulder support, such as the Vulkan Sports Shoulder, to provide additional support and compression.