
Procedures
Treatments for dislocations include: Medication: Your doctor may recommend medication to reduce pain from a dislocation Manipulation: A doctor returns the bones to their proper places. Rest: Once the joint is back in place, you may need to protect it and keep it immobile.
Therapy
Dislocation: First aid. A dislocation is an injury in which the ends of your bones are forced from their normal positions. The cause is usually trauma resulting from a fall, an auto accident, or a collision during contact or high-speed sports.
Self-care
By Mayo Clinic Staff. A dislocation is an injury in which the ends of your bones are forced from their normal positions. The cause is usually trauma resulting from a fall, an auto accident, or a collision during contact or high-speed sports. Dislocation usually involves the body's larger joints.
Nutrition
The best treatment for the pain is for the wrist to be back into the correct position, and this should be done without delay, as it will affect the function of your wrist. After this is done, the pain can be treated with ice, rest, compression (ACE wrap), and medications as prescribed by your physician.
What is the treatment for a dislocation?
What is a dislocation in first aid?
What is a dislocation at Mayo Clinic?
What is the best treatment for a dislocated wrist?

What is the correct treatment for a dislocation?
If you believe you have dislocated a joint: Get medical help immediately. Don't move the joint. Until you receive help, splint the affected joint into its fixed position. Don't try to move a dislocated joint or force it back into place.
What is the treatment for dislocated TMJ?
Treatment for Temporomandibular Joint Dislocation The standard treatment for acute TMJ dislocation is reduction of the mandible, a technique by which the dislocated jaw is pushed downward and backward into its normal position. TMJ reduction frequently takes place in emergency rooms under sedation or general anesthesia.
Can you live with a dislocated jaw?
Jaw dislocation is when the lower part of the jaw moves out of its normal position. It normally heals well, but it can cause problems in future. If you dislocated your jaw, seek medical help as soon as possible. Never try to put a dislocation back in place yourself.
How long does a dislocated jaw to heal?
For fractured or dislocated jaws not requiring surgery, the recovery period typically lasts four to eight weeks. Recovery from a surgical procedure could take several months. No matter the treatment method, for most patients, the jaw heals successfully with few long-term effects.
How to treat dislocations on the skin?
Relieve pain around the dislocation by applying a cold pack to the area. This will also reduce swelling that can add to the discomfort of the injury. Take care not to apply ice or cold packs directly to the skin while treating dislocations or damage to the skin could result; make sure you wrap the pack in a towel first.
How to prevent infection from dislocation?
It is important to take steps to prevent infection, especially if there is any broken skin around the area of the dislocation. Wait until professional medical personnel arrive before attempting to wash or in any way "clean" the wound (if there is a wound, or if there are any areas of broken skin).
What are the symptoms of dislocation?
Symptoms of dislocation include severe pain, immobilization, and deformity of the joint area. Dislocations can occur to nearly any joint of the body, including the shoulders, elbows, knees, hips, and ankles; they are also seen in the smaller joints of the fingers and toes.
How to know if a limb is dislocated?
These signs could indicate an obstruction of blood flow or damage to the nerves leading down to the limb. If any of these changes occur, seek medical assistance for treating the dislocation immediately .
How to treat a swollen wrist?
After this is done, the pain can be treated with ice, rest, compression (ACE wrap), and medications as prescribed by your physician.
What is the best way to hold a knee splint in place?
Splints can be constructed of sticks or another stabilizing device and tape or fabric strips to hold the splint in place.
Where to check for dislocation of arm?
Check the pulse in the area of the limb farthest from the center of the body — in the wrist if the arm or shoulder is dislocated, on the top of the foot or behind the ankle bone if the injury is to a leg.
What is the treatment for a dislocated joint?
According to Johns Hopkins University, initial treatment for any dislocation involves RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.
What is dislocation in the body?
What Is a Dislocation? A dislocation occurs when a bone slips out of a joint. For example, the top of your arm bone fits into a joint at your shoulder. When it slips or pops out of that joint, you have a dislocated shoulder. You can dislocate almost any joint in your body, including your knee, hip, ankle, or shoulder.
Why do you need surgery for a dislocated shoulder?
You will need surgery only if the dislocation damaged your nerves or blood vessels, or if your doctor is unable to return your bones to their normal position. Surgery may also be necessary for those who often dislocate the same joints, such as their shoulders. To prevent redislocation, it may be necessary to reconstruct the joint and repair any damaged structures. On occasion, a joint has to be replaced, such as a hip replacement.
How long does it take for a dislocation to heal?
What Is the Long-Term Outlook? Every dislocation has its own unique healing time. Most people experience a full recovery in several weeks. For some joints, such as hips, full recovery may take several months or years and may require additional surgeries.
What happens when a joint dislocates?
This might happen if you fall or experience a harsh hit to the affected area. After a joint dislocates, it’s more likely to dislocate again in the future .
Why is the healing time longer after a dislocation?
The healing time will also be longer if blood vessels or nerves were damaged in the dislocation. On occasion, the blood vessels that supply the bones are permanently damaged.
Why are older people at higher risk for dislocations?
However, older persons tend to have a higher risk, especially if they lack mobility or are less able to prevent falls. Children can also be at a greater risk for dislocations if they are unsupervised or play in an area that hasn’t been childproofed.
What is the most common site of dislocation?
Dislocation usually involves the body's larger joints. In adults, the most common site of the injury is the shoulder. In children, it's the elbow. Your thumb and fingers also are vulnerable if forcibly bent the wrong way.
How to fix a dislocated joint?
If you believe you have dislocated a joint: 1 Don't delay medical care. Get medical help immediately. 2 Don't move the joint. Until you receive help, splint the affected joint into its fixed position. Don't try to move a dislocated joint or force it back into place. This can damage the joint and its surrounding muscles, ligaments, nerves or blood vessels. 3 Put ice on the injured joint. This can help reduce swelling by controlling internal bleeding and the buildup of fluids in and around the injured joint.
What happens if you dislocate your bones?
The injury will temporarily deform and immobilize your joint and may result in sudden and severe pain and swelling. A dislocation requires prompt medical attention to return your bones to their proper positions.
How to reduce swelling in a joint?
Put ice on the injured joint. This can help reduce swelling by controlling internal bleeding and the buildup of fluids in and around the injured joint.
How to treat a dislocated joint?
Joint Dislocation Treatments. Once your doctor has diagnosed you with a joint dislocation, he or she will need to push or pull the joint back into place. This can be painful. Once your doctor returns the joint to its proper place, your pain will decrease. You may need to wear a splint or a sling for a short time.
What to do if you dislocate the same joint?
If you continue to dislocate the same joint, surgery might be the best treatment option.
What does it mean when your shoulder is dislocated?
Dislocated or Separated Shoulder. Joint Dislocation Symptoms. Joint Dislocation Symptoms. Many times, it's obvious when a dislocation occurs because the body part attached to the joint will be out of place. For example, if you dislocate your finger, it may look crooked.
What happens if you dislocate your finger?
For example, if you dislocate your finger, it may look crooked. Joint dislocations are emergency conditions. You should seek medical attention right away. Your doctor will look at your injury and ask questions about how it occurred. Be sure to tell your doctor if you've suffered the same dislocation in the past.
What happens when a bone moves out of place?
Joint dislocations happen when the end of the bone connected to a joint moves out of place. It can occur in nearly any joint in the body. The injury causes severe pain. Other symptoms of joint locations include swelling or bruising. The joint may also look crooked and you may not be able to move it at all.
What is the purpose of X-rays for dislocation?
X-rays will allow your doctor to decide if the injury is a dislocation or something more serious. More serious joint dislocations may cause the tendons and ligaments to stretch or tear. Your doctor may order an MRI to diagnose tissue damage around the joint. Make an appointment for joint dislocation symptoms.
What to do for swelling in a joint?
Ice packs on the joint to reduce any swelling.
What is dislocation in orthopedics?
Dislocations are a very common injury that occurs when a bone slips out of place in a joint. Learn the definition of dislocation and explore the causes, symptoms, and treatment of this injury. Updated: 10/13/2021
What is dislocation in medical terms?
A dislocation is considered to be a medical emergency. This type of injury occurs when a joint separates, or 'pops,' out of place. This injury varies in severity depending on what caused the injury and which joint was affected. Symptoms are usually very obvious and will lead to the loss of function of the injured joint. Quick and professional care will decrease the risks for vascular and nervous tissue complications associated with this injury.
What Can Cause a Dislocation?
Dislocations can occur because of anatomical issues or blunt force trauma. A person's anatomical structure can play a role in how easily and how often he or she might sustain a dislocation injury. By nature some people have weak anatomy, meaning the ligaments that hold joints together might not be tight enough to physically hold the joint together. This is also true of someone who has received multiple injuries to the same anatomy or joint.
What is dislocation in the body?
So what is a dislocation? A dislocation occurs when the bones in a joint separate. A joint is where two or more bones meet. Dislocations can only occur to joints. You can sustain dislocations in any joint of the body, but the more common sites of dislocation include the shoulder, hip, patella, ankle, and finger.
What to do when a joint is back where it should go?
Once the joint is back where it should go, you'll likely be advised to immobilize and ice the area. In severe situations, you might need surgical intervention to correct the defect that caused the injury or repair the defect that was caused because of the injury.
What are the symptoms of a dislocated joint?
Pain is the most common symptom associated with any dislocation, followed by an inability to use the joint. Some joints will also have an obvious deformity if they are dislocated. Other symptoms include:
Do you have to be a Study.com member to unlock this lesson?
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
What is the best treatment for dislocation of the bone?
Traction. This treatment gently stretches the muscles and tendons around the bone ends to help with the dislocation. It uses pulleys, strings, weights, and a metal frame attached over or on the bed.
Why do dislocations need medical attention?
All dislocations need medical care right away to prevent a bone from breaking. Untreated dislocations can lead to serious problems. Treatment may include:
What causes a dislocation in a child?
A dislocation happens when extreme force is put on a ligament. It can occur if your child falls or takes a hit to the body , such as while playing a contact sport.
How is a dislocation diagnosed in a child?
Your child’s healthcare provider makes the diagnosis with an exam. During the exam, he or she will ask about your child’s health history and how the injury happened.
Why are dislocations not common in children?
It is not common in younger children. This is because their growth plates are weaker than the muscles or tendons. Growth plates are the areas at the end of long bones where the bones grow. Dislocations happen more often among teens.
What to do if a child's tendons are dislocated?
It may also be done if a muscle, tendon, or ligament is badly torn. Your child’s healthcare provider may also recommend: Physical therapy to stretch and strengthen the injured muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
What happens if a child dislocates?
A dislocation can cause pain, swelling, and weakness. Your child may also have trouble moving the injured area.
