One of the common questions people ask is if shoulder dislocations go away on their own. The short answer: no. Unless the humerus is popped back in by your doctor, you will continue to experience pain. The longer you leave the injury untreated, the more damage you do to the surrounding muscles and ligaments.

You may have heard or even seen people in movies popping a dislocated shoulder back in by themselves. Although it can work in theory, you risk doing more harm than good. While there are some ways to coax the humerus back into its socket, you shouldn’t try it unless you’re absolutely sure you know what you’re doing.