Need Advice: Cannot Immobilize My Shoulder After Dislocation
Hi everyone, I’m 3 weeks post-dislocation and dealing with a nightmare situation. I live completely alone with no helper, and I am physically unable to immobilize my shoulder properly.
Every time I use a standard sling or tuck my arm against my stomach, it levers the bone forward out of the socket. If I try an abduction sling with a foam wedge, the open gap under my armpit freaks out my muscles, causes severe muscle spasms, and overloads my healthy collarbone. I’m currently stuck single slinging my arm at weird angles just to keep it from slipping, and I’m completely exhausted.
My appointment with the specialist isn’t until Monday morning. I need advice on how to get through the weekend, how to find a passive resting position that actually works, and what the long-term healing path looks like for this specific damage.
Here are my exact MRI findings:
- Anterior glenohumeral instability (feels like it slips forward/down constantly)
- Disruption of the anteroinferior labrum (Bankart lesion)
- Shallow Hill-Sachs type impaction injury with significant bone marrow edema (causing deep, throbbing bone pain)
- No glenoid bone loss
- Intact anterior band inferior glenohumeral ligament complex (aIGHL)
The issues I'm facing right now:
- Sling Failure: Off-the-shelf slings are completely failing my anatomy. Standard slings force the bone forward. Abduction slings create an empty "gap" in my armpit that causes severe neurological muscle confusion, involuntary twitches, and intense pressure on my healthy clavicle.
- Severe Muscle Guarding & DOMS: My shoulder blade is constantly "hiking" up. My armpit and triceps muscles are locked in violent, protective spasms to hold the bone in place because the structural cartilage bumper is gone.
- Position & Sleep Intolerance: I cannot lie flat at all. If I do, the bone immediately shifts out into my armpit. Even trying to sit up straight or arch my back makes it feel like it's sliding right out of the joint.
My questions for the community:
- If you had this exact MRI profile and severe resting instability, did you manage to heal conservatively, or did you ultimately need surgery
- How did you position your pillows or modify your sling to stop the bone from forcing forward without triggering insane muscle fatigue?
- For those with concurrent nerve issues (like foraminal stenosis), how did you manage to get any sleep without triggering electric nerve shocks down your back?
Any tips on structural setups or what to expect at my appointment on Monday would be life-saving. Thank you