After a shoulder dislocation, you would normally be placed into a sling for comfort. You would not normally have to wear the sling when sleeping. Shoulder dislocations can cause fractures to the bone as well, which can cause a lot more continued pain after the shoulder is put back in. If it is a clean dislocation, where there are no bony fragments, then the shoulder pain usually improves very quickly over the first few days. Whilst waiting for an appointment and imaging (MRI is preferred), physiotherapy can help to regain range of movement safely, and is useful in reactivating the muscles in the shoulder. In the first few weeks, the following should be considered.

1. Regular Panadol Osteo – This is the same as regular Panadol (Paracetamol) however the dose per tablet is slightly higher. This means that you should only take up to a maximum of 6 tablets per day rather than the usual 8 for Panadol.
2. Physiotherapy to commence range of movement exercises and advise about precautions (as the shoulder is at risk of dislocating again after the first dislocation.
3. A review by a trained professional to assess that your nerves are working correctly, that the shoulder is back in the correct position, and there are no fractures or other injuries.
4. MRI scan is the imaging for choice, as it will show bony injury as well as soft tissue injury. This is used by an orthopaedic surgeon to decide on whether or not an operative stabilisation should be performed.