The first rule of dislocations? Never try to “pop it back into place.”
When you knock a bone out of its joint, that’s probably the first thing you’ll want to do. But don’t. Why? Dislocations can damage surrounding tissues, nerves and blood vessels. So, resist the urge, no matter how bad it hurts. Leave it up to experienced healthcare providers.
Whether you go to the emergency room, orthopaedic urgent care or a provider’s office, Cleveland Clinic is here to help. Our caring orthopaedics team can get things straightened out and back in place.
A dislocated bone is a traumatic injury. It’s painful and can leave you feeling stressed out as you worry about what’s next. Our compassionate providers guide you through treatment, recovery and rehab, and follow-up care. If you have questions, we answer them. Concerns? We listen and ease your fears. We keep you at the center of all we do.
When you dislocate your shoulder, elbow, knee or another joint, you can get care at one of our Orthopaedic Express care locations. No appointment is needed. Walk in to get the treatment you need from Cleveland Clinic’s orthopaedic experts. No location near you? Then you can get the same great care at one of our emergency departments. Meet our team.
Dislocations most often happen during sports. Cleveland Clinic’s orthopaedics team works closely with our sports medicine specialists to offer the best treatment for your injury. And to make sure you get back in the game as soon as possible.
From joint stability research to examining better ways to repair damaged soft tissues and muscles around joints, our providers are always looking for ways to improve care.
Not feeling up to an in-person appointment but need a quick check-in with your care team? Virtual visits are a great alternative. You can meet one-on-one online with your providers from a comfortable place at home.
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You have hundreds of joints in your body. They’re where two bones meet. And if one of them gets knocked out of its usual place, that’s dislocation. Not only are dislocations painful, but they can also make it hard to use the affected joint. They can cause damage to soft tissues, muscles and other things around the joint.
There are two types of dislocations. A complete dislocation (luxation) means the two bones in your joint are pushed out of place. They no longer touch like they should. A subluxation, or partial dislocation, means your joints are still held loosely in place but can shift in and out of it. They touch each other only sometimes.
Any joint can be affected by either type, like a:
It’s important to head to the emergency room, urgent care or an orthopaedic express care location if you have a dislocation. Trying to force it back in place yourself can often cause more damage and even lengthen recovery time.
When you come to us with a dislocated joint, we’re going to move quickly to confirm what’s wrong and start treatment. Your provider will start out with a physical exam. They’ll look closely at your joint. And they’ll ask questions about how you hurt it and what kind of pain it’s causing. Then they’ll order imaging tests to look at damage around your joint, including muscle strains, sprains or broken bones (fractures). You may have:
It takes a team of providers from different specialties to evaluate, diagnose and treat dislocations. They work together to make sure you get the most personalized care. Your team may have:
Our healthcare providers see patients at convenient locations throughout Northeast Ohio and Florida.
We’ll quickly treat your dislocation after confirming your injury. We put the joint back into its correct place (relocation manipulation or closed reduction). You may also need to immobilize the joint. Wearing a sling, splint or brace will hold the joint in place as it heals.
Your providers may also recommend medications to reduce pain and inflammation (swelling). They’ll go over what to take and how long to take it. If you have a severe dislocation, you may have damage to the bone, tissues, nerves or blood vessels. We may need to do surgery to reset the joint or repair damage.
During recovery, your care team will ask you to rest and avoid doing anything that stresses the healing joint. How long it takes to heal depends on which joint you injured — and how bad the damage was. Small joints like a finger or thumb might take about three weeks. Large joints like a hip or knee could take at least a few months.
You’ll have regular follow-up visits with your providers to make sure things are on track. They’ll keep a close eye on you and let you know when you can get back to being more active. This helps you avoid the risk of reinjuring it if it isn’t fully healed.
Physical therapy can help strengthen the damaged joint and muscles around it. This can help you keep from dislocating it again in the future.
Dislocations are painful. But they’re not something you should try to treat at home. Our experienced team can carefully put your joint back into place. And help ease your pain while doing it. Then, we’ll go over everything you need to do to recover, so you can get back in the game as soon as possible.
Living with a chronic condition like Diamond-Blackfan anemia keeps you on alert. And it may seem like you’re always looking for new signs and symptoms. It can be a lot to process. When you have an expert team on your side, you don’t have to keep track of your health alone. Cleveland Clinic’s healthcare providers are here to help you manage your DBA care. And find the best ways to support you as you balance your condition and living an active life.
Getting an appointment with Cleveland Clinic’s dislocations experts is easy. We’re here to help you get the care you need.
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