It is rare to sustain a broken shoulder blade without severe trauma; however, the clavicle and the proximal humerus are bones that are considered part of the shoulder, and these bones are more commonly fractured. Your doctor will want to immobilize the shoulder by placing your arm in a sling until the bones heal.

Although the shoulder is one of the body’s most versatile and mobile joints, it also can be prone to injury. A shoulder dislocation occurs when the arm bone pops out of the shoulder socket.

The shoulder can rotate to 180 degrees, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. This flexibility, however, also makes the shoulder susceptible to injuries and pain. Rotator cuff tears, clavicle fractures and dislocations may require surgical intervention for repair.

If your baby has fallen on her shoulder or received a blow to her clavicle, it’s possible for her to end up with a partially or completely dislocated shoulder. This happens when the humerus bone in the upper arm comes out of its socket, tearing or stretching the muscles and ligaments.

The repetitive punches that a boxer throws during training sessions can lead to injuries of the shoulder involving muscles, ligaments and tendons. Ignoring the pain or “playing through” a shoulder injury and treating it as second nature to your sport can lead to further degeneration of the injured tissues.

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that allows you to move your arms up, down, forward, backward and in and out. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, this flexibility in movement makes the shoulder prone to dislocations.

The shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the body, allowing for reaching up behind and across the body. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, this mobility comes at a price, with instability at the shoulder resulting in many injuries.

Also known as a shoulder spica, shoulder wraps prevent excessive motion and provide joint comfort to an unstable shoulder.

Your AC joint, technically called your acromioclavicular joint, is found in your shoulder where your scapula and clavicle meet. The AC joint can be damaged through a chronic condition such as arthritis, but in most cases injury is due to separation of the joint. AC separation is rated on a grading system.

The shoulder press or military press is a basic, upper body exercise targeting all the major shoulder muscles. The exercise is commonly performed with dumbbells or by using a barbell and lifting the weight over your head.

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint. The ball is called the head of the humerus, or upper-arm bone, and the socket is called the glenoid, which is part of the shoulder bone. The shoulder is the most movable joint in the human body. It is also the most common site for different types of injuries.

Ask anyone who has had shoulder surgery and he will most likely tell you that the pain he experienced caused difficulty sleeping. Some shoulder surgeries, like a repair to the rotator cuff, can be much more painful than a more simple procedure like a bone spur removal.