The role of exercise in the conservative treatment of the anterior shoulder dislocation

SummaryAnterior shoulder dislocation is a common type of injury, which occurs relatively frequently both during sport and normal everyday activities. A shoulder dislocation is a displacement of the humeral head that causes injury to all capsuloligamentous structures. Consequently, the main clinical sign of shoulder dislocation is functional instability and rehabilitation therefore aims at enhancing the dynamic muscular and proprioceptive restraints to shoulder instability. Conservative treatment of the unstable shoulder has long been discussed emphasizing the importance of exercise. Therefore, the aim of this article is to present an effective exercise-based rehabilitation plan for the non-operative management of anterior shoulder dislocation, according to current knowledge and existing literature.