Dislocated Joints – Symptoms and First Aid Advice

Last reviewed: September 2026 — checked against Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines 2025.

What are dislocated joints?

A dislocation happens when the bones that form a joint are pulled partly or completely out of their normal position, usually by a fall, a heavy blow or a sudden wrenching force. The surrounding ligaments, joint capsule, nerves and blood vessels are often damaged at the same time, which is why a dislocation always needs assessing in hospital even when it looks like it has gone back in on its own.

Dislocated joints are a common injury, particularly among athletes. They can occur in any joint in the body, but are most often seen in the shoulder, elbow, knee and ankle. Fingers, thumbs, kneecaps and jaws also dislocate frequently, and a dislocated hip is uncommon but serious.

A dislocation can look very similar to a broken bone, and the two often happen together. As a first aider you are not expected to tell them apart — you treat what you see, keep the joint still, and get the casualty assessed.

If you would like to further your first aid skills we also offer a range of first aid courses.

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Signs and symptoms of dislocated joints

Signs and symptoms of a dislocated joint include:

1. intense pain
2. inability to move the joint
3. swelling and deformity of the joint. The joint may also feel unstable or “wobbly”.
4. a severe, sickening pain that the casualty may describe as different from an ordinary sprain
5. bruising around the joint, and a limb that looks shorter, bent or twisted out of shape
6. numbness, pins and needles, or a limb that looks pale or feels cold beyond the injury — a sign that nerves or blood vessels may be affected

If you think you have dislocated a joint, get medical help straight away. Do not try to relocate the joint yourself – this can cause further damage to the bone, the cartilage, the nerves and the blood vessels around it, and it can turn a simple dislocation into an injury that needs surgery.

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When to call 999

Call 999 first, before doing anything else, if any of the following apply:

• the casualty is unresponsive. Under Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines 2025 you call 999 for any unresponsive person before you assess their breathing — put the phone on speaker, and the ambulance call handler will help you decide what to do next and talk you through CPR if it is needed
• you suspect an injury to the head, neck or spine, or the casualty was thrown, fell from height or was hit by a vehicle
• the limb beyond the injury is pale, cold, blue or numb, or you cannot feel a pulse in it — the blood supply may be cut off and this is limb-threatening
• there is an open wound over the joint, or bone is visible
• you suspect a dislocated hip or knee, or the casualty has an obvious major deformity
• the casualty is showing signs of shock — pale, clammy, grey skin, a fast weak pulse, rapid shallow breathing, or becoming confused, restless or drowsy
• they are in too much pain to be moved safely, or you have no safe way of getting them to hospital

If none of those apply, the casualty still needs to be seen at an emergency department the same day. NHS advice is clear that they should not drive themselves — someone else drives, or you call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

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Step-by-step guide to treating a dislocated joint:

1. Assure the casualty that he or she should remain still. Assist them in maintaining their dislocated joint in the most comfortable position feasible.
   • Do not attempt to put the dislocated bone back into its socket since this might result in additional damage.
2. Stop the joint from moving.
   • If you believe they have dislocated their shoulder or elbow, support the injured arm with a sling. Tie a broad-fold bandage (wide bandage) around the chest and the sling to provide further support. Remove any rings or watches from your hands or arms in case of swelling if an arm is injured.
   • If you believe they’ve dislocated their ankle, knee, or hip joint, apply padding and broad-fold bandages to the afflicted leg.
3. Get them to hospital. If any of the emergency signs above are present, call 999 (or 112) straight away and do not move them. Otherwise arrange for someone else to drive them to the nearest emergency department, or call 999 if you have no safe way of getting them there. The casualty should never drive themselves.
4. Do not give them anything to eat or drink. A dislocated joint is usually put back under a sedative or an anaesthetic, and an empty stomach makes that safer. Simple pain relief such as paracetamol is fine, taken according to the packet, unless they have been told otherwise.
5. If you’re alone and waiting for assistance, check for shock if necessary. Keep an eye on their level of response.
6. Raise the uninjured leg only. Don’t raise an injured leg.
7. If a leg joint is involved, do not let them put any weight on it or try to walk.
8. Check the circulation around any bandages every 10 minutes and loosen the tie if needed. If the fingers or toes beyond the bandage turn pale, blue or cold, or the casualty says they have gone numb, loosen the bandages immediately and call 999 if that does not restore the colour.

A cold pack — an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel — held gently against the joint for up to 20 minutes can ease pain and swelling while you wait. Never put ice directly on the skin, and never use it in place of getting the casualty assessed.

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What happens at hospital

The casualty will usually be x-rayed to confirm the dislocation and to check for any associated fracture. A doctor then manoeuvres the bone back into its socket, a procedure called reduction, with a local anaesthetic or a sedative so that it is not painful. The joint is normally x-rayed again afterwards to confirm it is back in place, and the limb is supported in a sling or splint.

Most people are discharged the same day. Surgery is sometimes needed — for example where the joint keeps dislocating, where the surrounding ligaments are badly torn, or where a fracture needs fixing at the same time.

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Recovery and preventing it happening again

The NHS advises that recovery from a dislocated shoulder usually takes up to 12 weeks, with up to 16 weeks before a full return to some sports, and longer for some people. The arm is normally supported in a sling for the first few weeks, after which a physiotherapist will usually set exercises to rebuild strength and movement and to reduce the risk of it happening again.

That risk is real: once a joint has dislocated it is more likely to do so again, and how much more likely depends on the person’s age and how well the joint healed. Following the exercises and the return-to-activity advice given by the hospital or physiotherapist is the single most useful thing a casualty can do.

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What not to do

• Do not try to push, pull or click the joint back into place. Even people who have dislocated the same joint before should be assessed, because a fracture can be present.
• Do not move the injured limb to test how bad it is.
• Do not let the casualty eat, drink or smoke while waiting for treatment.
• Do not apply ice directly to bare skin, and do not leave a cold pack on for more than about 20 minutes at a time.
• Do not let the casualty drive themselves to hospital.
• Do not delay calling 999 while you decide whether the injury is “bad enough” — if any of the emergency signs above are present, call.

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