Even the most cautious person is not safe from a fall caused by slippery roads, dizziness, carelessness or someone else's malicious intent. As a result, any part of the body can be affected. According to statistics, one of the most common injuries is a shoulder bruise in combination with a fracture, dislocation, hematoma, and other injuries of bone or soft tissues.
General injury information
The shoulders are a complex system that allows the hands to carry out various movements.
Most of the area is occupied by muscles, ligaments and tendons. The humerus acts as a framework, connecting with the radius at its base.
A bruise is a common injury that results in damage to soft tissues and blood vessels, but the integrity of the skin is not impaired.
Most often occurs when falling, less often - due to a blow. Mostly observed:
- young boys and girls involved in sports, dancing;
- in childhood, when the instinct of self-preservation is still not sufficiently developed;
- in winter, due to ice.
Open and closed fractures, displacements and other injuries often become companions of a severe bruise to the shoulder.
Depending on the severity, the damage goes away on its own or the victim needs the help of a doctor.
Symptoms
Signs of a bruised shoulder cannot always be distinguished from other injuries sustained in the fall. Indirectly indicate its appearance may:
- pain;
- hematomas and bruises;
- inflammation;
- site hardening;
- swelling;
- numbness;
- decreased performance of the humerus.
Do not forget that severe injuries often occur in the complex, so only diagnosis will help to accurately diagnose. If a hand does not rise after a shoulder bruise during a fall , self-medication is unacceptable!
First aid
If you suspect a shoulder injury, you must:
- Inspect the victim’s hand for protruding bone fragments.
- Ask a person to move his hand, fingers.
- Treat abrasions and other open wounds with an antiseptic to prevent further infection.
- Fix the patient’s hand. To do this, it is bent at the elbow at a right angle and secured with a scarf or towel around the neck.
- Apply ice previously wrapped in a scarf or other cloth to the sore spot. Duration should not exceed 20 minutes. Repeat every couple of hours.
- In the presence of severe pain, give an analgesic (although it is better to do without it) and call a medical team.
Sometimes after damage the patient may feel satisfactory, but after 1 to 2 days the condition worsens. Then you need to visit a traumatologist, surgeon or orthopedist.
Severity of defeat
By the nature of the damage, several degrees of shoulder bruising are distinguished:
- 1st. Causes slight discomfort when moving with a limb. It can be combined with minor scratches at the point of impact. Does not need treatment, and passes through 3 - 4 days.
- 2nd. In this case, swelling appears on the site of the injury, then hematomas. Painful sensations appear immediately and intensify when raising the arm.
- 3rd. The pathological process is localized in the subcutaneous region and affects the muscles or ligaments. Often diagnosed with dislocation of the shoulder joint.
- 4th. It is characterized by a complete lack of sensitivity in the shoulder and requires urgent medical attention.
Only mild form does not need therapy. If a bruise in the shoulder hurts, what to do in this case, the doctor will tell you and prescribe the necessary drugs to alleviate the condition. Sometimes surgery may be required.
Survey
In most cases, a doctor’s consultation is sufficient for diagnosis.
At the initial examination of the patient, they are asked in detail about the incident, as a result of which an injury was received, symptoms and the presence of additional pathologies.
After this, an external examination of the patient is performed with palpation of the painful area, during which the doctor will be able to detect:
- bone fragments;
- joint deformation;
- scratches;
- hematomas;
- swelling
- loss of sensitivity.
If you suspect severe damage to the muscles, blood vessels of the ligaments, bones and joints, the patient will be assigned an instrumental study including the following methods:
- X-ray
- MRI
- CT
- Ultrasound
- Arthrography.
- Arthroscopy.
- Angiography.
Laboratory tests, as a rule, are uninformative. They are carried out in rare cases, namely when:
- unsatisfactory general condition of the patient;
- suspected infection of the wound cavity with subsequent infection of the joints, blood, etc.
- preparation for surgery.
Such studies include:
- clinical and biochemical blood analysis;
- coagulogram.
If the pain from the bruise does not go away within 3 days and intensifies, a visit to a doctor is mandatory.
The use of medicines
It is advisable to use cold compresses on the first day after the accident, then an ointment for bruises and injuries is recommended. It could be:
- Troxevasin.
- "Bruise-OFF."
- "Finalgon" and others.
You can use the heating plaster "Nanoplast forte".
Open wounds are lubricated:
- levomekol;
- streptocide;
- chlorhexidine;
- "Rescuer";
- brilliant green;
- iodine;
- fucorcin, etc.
Before using medicines, you should consult your doctor.
Grandma's recipes
To date, for the treatment of shoulder bruise when falling at home, there are many traditional medicine. They have been passed down from generation to generation since ancient times and were quite effective in the fight against painful injuries.
Based on the numerous reviews of patients, the most effective of them are distinguished:
- Ointment for bruises and injuries from burdock root. Raw materials are thoroughly washed and dried with a towel. Then crushed in a blender or fine grater and pour a glass of sunflower or olive oil. Insist a day, after which they are heated over low heat for about 15 minutes, avoiding boiling. Filter and place in the refrigerator. When injured, rubbed into a sore spot or applied as a compress.
- Wormwood . Freshly harvested grass is crushed to obtain medicinal juice, which lubricate the bruised places.
- Laundry soap . Take a small bar and grind on a grater. Combine with 30 g of camphor powder and 30 g of ammonia. The mass is poured with 1 glass of turpentine and oil of oil, mix well and lubricate the injured area until the symptoms disappear. Store in a dark, cold place.
- Anti-inflammatory compress. In 500 ml of water add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vinegar (9%). Take gauze or natural tissue, soak in the resulting solution and apply to painful places.
Treatment of a bruise in the shoulder should be carried out after examination by a specialist. Whether or not to use such recipes is a private matter, but to exclude severe pathologies, you need to know your diagnosis.
Recovery period
With severe trauma, it can take several months to treat a bruised shoulder when dropped at home. For a faster recovery, the patient is recommended:
- paraffin therapy;
- UHF;
- massage;
- physiotherapy exercises.
In order to restore the motor activity of the joint and strengthen the muscles of the damaged shoulder, the doctor will select a set of necessary exercises, including:
- forward bends and circular motions with hands;
- clenching your hands into a fist;
- breeding of blades;
- raising shoulders.
All movements should be smooth. With sharp jerks, a worsening of the condition of the joint and the appearance of severe pain are possible.
It is forbidden to perform arbitrary movements. An undeveloped arm is contraindicated in many exercises.
Subject to all doctor's recommendations, the prognosis is usually favorable.
With severe trauma (combined with a fracture, etc.), further developments will depend on many factors.
Often after a cure, a person cannot perform his usual actions with a damaged hand. This especially affects athletes whose career ends after an unsuccessful fall.
Complications
Do not self-medicate if, in parallel with a bruised shoulder, a hand does not rise when dropped. It is allowed to resort to such methods only after examination by a doctor, otherwise the injury can lead to such serious complications as:
- Accumulation of excess blood in the muscle.
- Pathology of the articular bag.
- Bursitis.
- Hemarthrosis.
- Sepsis.
- Necrosis of the limb.
Often, such consequences make themselves felt as a result of severe injuries or a late visit to a doctor.
In most cases, a shoulder bruise disappears without a trace several days or weeks after the injury. With strong falls, the outcome may not be as favorable. Additional damage to bones, joints, muscles and tendons automatically prolongs the duration of treatment for an indefinite period. Often, the functionality of a limb can still be restored, but not always in full.