Research Corner - Q&A Past Dislocated Shoulder by Martin Rooney | Date Released : 06 Apr 2007 0 comments Print Close Question: I was recently contacted by a client who dislocated his shoulder in his mid teens (he is now 25 years old). The shoulder has popped out four or five times since then. Would strengthening the muscles around the head of the humurus prevent this from happening, and if so, are there any exercises I should avoid? The client has not trained for a number of years. I would greatly appreciate your help. Answer: When there has been a dislocation at that age and that many subsequent dislocations since then, the shoulder joint is most likely damaged in terms of the labrum (which creates stability at the shoulder) and perhaps the articular cartilage as well. When there is damage to such structures, even with strengthening exercises, there will still be risk of future dislocations and the potential chance of eventual arthritis. In my experience and in studies I have read, exercise programs have not had a good success rate in terms of preventing future problems, especially if the person is young and active, as in this case. Strengthening the supporting musculature can always help, but now there are arthroscopic surgeries (like the common Bankhart procedure) that are quick and relatively short in terms of recovery that could also help this person to not only make sure the fear of dislocation is gone but return to a full training regimen. In synopsis, I would be very careful in the case of this client. With the most common dislocations, I would avoid any exercises that involve abduction and external rotation of the shoulder and any others where he demonstrates apprehension performing. At this time, begin with exercises that create stabilization at the joint and focus on internal rotation as well. If you begin the training and he demonstrates marked apprehension and/or pain in the affected shoulder, an orthopedic consultation may be necessary. Back to top About the author: Martin Rooney Martin Rooney is a Performance Enhancement Specialist with a Master of Health Science and Bachelor of Physical Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science from Furman University. <br><br> Martin is a licensed Physical Therapist in New Jersey and is certified as a NSCA-CSC and NASM-CPT. He has also been certified in Active Release Technique for the upper extremity and certified in the lower extremity by the Institute of Flexibility Sciences. <br><br> Martin has lectured for Perform Better, the College Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, the University of Alabama, the ACSM and NSCA. He has been commissioned by Nike to run speed testing camps at a number of major universities. Martin has been featured on ESPN, Fox Sports Net, the NFL Network and in the Sporting News. He has written two training texts called Train to Win and Training for Warriors and also co-authored two other books on the 40 yard dash and the vertical jump. Martin has produced a 10-part DVD series on the Parisi Training Method. He has also travelled internationally to conduct seminars and help prepare world class fighters for competitions such as Pride, the UFC and the Abu Dhabi World Submission Grappling Championships. <br><br> In addition to training many world champion martial artists, Martin has also been a speed and conditioning consultant to the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona State University and Oregon State University as well as other athletes from the NFL, MLB, NBA and WNBA. He has trained numerous Olympians including one gold and four silver medalists. Currently, Martin is the director of the Parisi Speed School. <br><br> Full Author Details Related content Content from Martin Rooney Dislocated Shoulder Ken Kinakin | Articles Dislocated Shoulder and Stabilization Training Martin Rooney | Articles Heavy Weights After Shoulder Surgery Lenny Parracino | Articles Shoulder Separation Recovery Amy Moran | Articles Interactive Shoulder Part 1 - Bones Structure Primal Pictures | Articles Shoulder Rehab - AC Joint Separation Noah Hittner | Articles Shoulder Popping During Exercise Rodney Corn | Articles Dislocated Shoulder Alan Russell | Articles The Hard Work Vs. Talent Revelation in Training Martin Rooney | Articles Speed Training’s Dirty Secret Martin Rooney | Articles You Snooze, You Win: Wake Up To the Significance of Sleep Martin Rooney | Articles The Principles of Posture Martin Rooney | Articles "Hurricane" Endurance Training Martin Rooney | Articles Strategies for Goal Achievement Martin Rooney | Articles Past Dislocated Shoulder Martin Rooney | Articles Dislocated Shoulder and Stabilization Training Martin Rooney | Articles Please login to leave a comment Comments (0) Back to top