Preventing a dislocated shoulder from becoming a recurring issue

ROXBOROUGH (WPVI) -- The shoulder is the body's most flexible joint - and the most likely to dislocate.

Contrary to what you might think, younger, not older, people need to address shoulder problems right away.

Caleb Lehman of Roxborough discovered Brazilian jiu jitsu in college. It was great exercise and a big stressbuster.

"I always walk away from the mats feeling very refreshed," he notes.

Last year during a competition, Caleb's opponent fell on top of him, pulling his arm bone out of the shoulder socket.

"I was trying to tell my arm to do things with my brain and it just wouldn't move," he recalls.

Unfortunately, it was Caleb's second dislocated shoulder. The same shoulder went out of joint during a flag football game earlier in his college days.

"I made contact with the person and the force just kind of traveled up my arms, and I felt my right shoulder pop out," he remembers.

At the time, a doctor didn't think Caleb had much chance of a future dislocation.

Dr. Leslie Barnes, a Temple Health orthopedic surgeon says they happen on the job as much as in sports.

"Either slip and fall at work or even fall from a ladder," says Dr. Barnes.

It takes a lot of force to pull that joint apart.

Putting it back in place as quickly as possible is the first priority, and Dr. Barnes says any dislocation should be seen by a specialist for a full assessment because there's a good chance for a second dislocation.

And young people are at higher risk than seniors.

"The teenage athlete is at the highest risk for a second or third dislocation, unfortunately," she says.

It's usually attributed to their bodies still changing, playing at a higher level, and playing team sports where they'll come into contact with another player.

"Every time the shoulder comes out of the socket, there's cartilage damage," says Dr. Barnes.

After Caleb's first incident, Dr. Barnes found a tear in the labrum, the ring of cartilage holding the shoulder together.

After the second it had gone from a 20% tear to an 80% tear.

Physical therapy would have enabled Caleb to continue his nursing career, but not his martial arts.

Dr. Barnes says the significant labral tear made surgery the best option.

"Arthroscopically going in with a camera and trying to stabilize the shoulder by repairing the tear," she says.

Caleb had surgery in November followed by physical therapy.

By March, he had good mobility and strength. However, he did several more months of specialized physical therapy, so he could return to jiu jitsu.

"This is something that I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life," he says. "It's something I want to do long into my twilight years."

Dr. Barnes says a strong conditioning program for the shoulder won't guarantee no dislocations but will reduce the risk.