Arm Slings

Arm slings are the perfect short term treatment for any sort of painful injury. By using an arm sling, you should ensure that the injured part of your body does not move. This way, you will prevent yourself from sustaining further injury until you get an opportunity to see a doctor.

However, while wearing arm slings, you need to ensure that you have positioned it in such a way that the injured limb cannot bend. A good rule to follow is to sling your arm from the joint right above the injury to a joint below it. This means that you should sling an injured forearm from below the wrist to above the elbow.

Splinting Arm Injuries

There are 2 main ways to splint an injury to the arm. These include:

a) Stiffing

Tie the part that was injured to a stiff object, like rolled up magazines or newspapers, a cane, or a stick. You can thereafter use arm slings to tie it up.

b) Fastening

You can also fasten the injured part to another part of the body. For instance, consider wrapping your injured arm close to your chest.

As you go about wearing your arm sling, ensure that you do not tie the splint too tight. You can easily tell that the sling is too tight if you have:

• Increased pain
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Pale and cold skin right below the sling
• Increased swelling in the area below where you tied the sling

You should understand that the splinting methods described above are all short term and temporary at best. They serve as the perfect first aid measures you can apply before you get a doctor to check out the injury and prescribe something more permanent like a medical arm sling.

More on Arm Slings

Arm slings are bandages that are used to provide support to injured arms. To apply the sling, you should:

• Support the arm, especially the area right below and above the injury
• Place the triangular bandage that comes with the sling under the injured arm and right over the uninjured shoulder; this will appropriately form the sling
• Then, tie the ends of the arm sling at the side of the neck

With regards to arm slings, you should not use them for a prolonged period of time. This is because when you immobilize your arm for too long, you might end up suffering from adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder).

Instead, release or loosen the sling regularly to exercise and move your hand, wrist and elbow to prevent the joints from stiffening. Repeat this a minimum of 4 times every day.

Getting By With an Arm Sling

While arm slings are great for dealing with ligament and bone injuries of the write and forearm, most post plaster casts and forearm fractures will require that you use an arm sling. These slings are great for protecting the injured area. They also allow for the tissue that was hurt to heal faster.

Additionally, wearing arm slings will keep your arm right against the body. As such, it will prevent your arm from moving unnecessary. This stationary position is essential for faster healing.

So, how do you go about doing normal everyday things when you are wearing an arm sling? Consider the advice below:

1. Washing

You might need to get help washing the un-operated arm for the first 3 weeks because you won’t be in a position to use the injured arm. However, you also have the option of using an over bath shower or a cubicle shower to wash. 

2. Dressing

It will be easier to wear clothes that open from the front. So long as you always dress the injured arm first, you should be good. A couple of weeks after using the arm sling, you should be able to have returned to normal dressing.

3. Feeding

Only use the uninjured arm while eating. After 3 weeks or thereabouts, you will have an easier time feeding yourself normally using both hands.

Whatever you do, when you are using arm slings to protect your injured arm, it is essential that you keep away from any activity that might lead to further injury. Apart from exercising the arm every few times to relax it and loosen your joints, you need to be careful. After a couple of weeks, you will have an easier time returning to normal daily operation.