Shoulder Dislocation Recovery: How Long Does It Take?

Question
In a typical case of a dislocated shoulder, from the day that an orthopedist places the ball of the upper arm bone back into the joint socket, and after therapy, approximately how many weeks does it take for the shoulder to return to normal range of motion? Thank you very much. Al Brown


Answer
The period of time for the shoulder to obtain normal range of motion depends upon the injury and it's relation to impairments affecting the muscles and tendons involved with the shoulder and the degree of motion impairment.  Also, pain is a factor.  The length of time can be influenced by the level of pain and type of physical therapy the patient can handle.  Depending on the degree of the decreased range of motion it can take anywhere from days to several months.  This question is best to be discussed with the physical therapist who will do an initial asessment and plan of treatment with the patient.

I hope this was helpful.    

Each case is individual.