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When to Seek Medical Care

It is often difficult to tell a moderately severe shoulder separation from a fracture of one of the shoulder bones or a dislocation of the shoulder (in which the bone in the upper arm [humerus] comes out of the shoulder joint).

Signs of a severe shoulder separation include severe pain, limited range of motion, and cold or numb fingers.

Because some cases of severe shoulder injury may give you only mild pain with a slight decrease in mobility, people with a shoulder injury often need physician's examination and an x-ray.

Mild tenderness to the top of the shoulder may be consistent with a minor bruise. If these symptoms go away with ice, acetaminophen (Tylenol), or ibuprofen (Motrin), this injury is unlikely to produce serious or chronic problems.

Severe pain, cold or numb fingers, severe or persistent decreased range of motion, and deformity of the shoulder indicate the presence of a potentially serious shoulder injury. If you have these signs and symptoms, go to the hospital's emergency department for prompt diagnosis and treatment.