• Reference Number: HEY1586/2025
• Departments: Physiotherapy
• Last Updated: 30 June 2025

Introduction

This leaflet has been produced to give you general information about your treatment. Most of your questions should be answered by this leaflet. It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and your physiotherapist but may act as a starting point for discussion. If after reading it you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team caring for you.

This leaflet if for people who want to participate in or return to sport. Sports that involve overhead activities or contact, carry a higher risk of further re-dislocation, however many people wish to continue with what they enjoy, and the following information will help you get there.

Common Questions

When can I return to sport without worrying that my shoulder will re-dislocate?

The exercises you have been doing will help you get back to full activities. There is always a chance it might come out again, especially if you take part in high-risk sports that involve contact, like rugby or overhead force, like tennis.

How do I phase back into sports?

Go back to some training sessions and gradually introduce more contact and overhead activities. Once you’ve practiced the full range of skills in a training environment you can progress to a competitive environment. When you do this, it would be good to plan to do the last part as a substitute, towards the end of the game and then build up each week depending on how you feel.

How will I know if I am ready for each new progression?

We usually expect a full return within six months of the injury. If you feel you are not progressing, then we advise that you get back in touch with us by following the Patient-Initiated Follow-Up information at the end of your exercise leaflet.

What should I do if I take the next steps, and it becomes painful?

You can expect the shoulder to ache a little bit as you gradually increase the demands you place on it. If it becomes painful then you should step back to the stage before until it settles and then gradually phase forward again.

What should I do if it comes out again?

You should go back to the Emergency Department. Once your shoulder has been put back in place (reduced) you will be referred to the fracture clinic.

Who to contact for further advice?

Should you require further advice on the issues contained in this leaflet, please do not hesitate to contact the Physiotherapy Department on tel: 01482 674880.

Your feedback matters to us…

To ensure we deliver a safe and quality service and to help us understand the experience you have of the care you receive from our staff we would value your thoughts about the service you received.

You may be contacted as part of our quality assurance programme which is where we visit our teams and staff and talk to them about the care they provide to our patients or at any time during or after you have needed our services.

To collect this feedback, we would contact you using the registered telephone number we hold in your care record. This feedback will be strictly anonymous and whilst we will share the feedback as part of the process, we will not share any details which may identify you.

We will never ask you any personal questions about your health during these telephone calls.

If you do not wish to speak to us, please say this when we call, we do not want you to feel pressured.

This leaflet is an adaptation of the ARTISAN Trial physiotherapy booklets (R.Kearney et al 2024) and produced by the Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Department, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and will be reviewed in June 2028.

General Advice and Consent

Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.

Consent to treatment

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.

The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:

• you must be able to give your consent
• you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
• you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person

Information about you

We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.

If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.