How to Wear an Arm Sling Support Immobilizer?

How to Wear an Arm Sling?

No matter where it happened, injuries are very painful. The pain will be unbearable when the injury is a broken bone. Those who have experienced one or are experiencing will agree with me.

If you are suffering from an injury or a fracture on your shoulder, wrist, or elbow, you will be advised to wear an arm sling to help protect the affected region while it heals. As such, an arm sling will keep your arm against your body and keep you from moving it too much as you heal from the injury. While wearing an arm sling is very important during the healing process, it’s equally important to wear it properly.

Wearing an arm sling improperly will delay the healing process, or worsen your injury. In the following article, let’s see how to wear an arm sling properly.[1]

When Should You Use an Arm Sling?

There are several instances where you have to use an arm sling. They are:

Fractures:

Fractures in the shoulders, elbow, or wrist regions will require you to wear an arm sling. After having a fracture, it’s highly essential that you immobilize the arm to make sure that the bones get healed properly. An arm sling will help keep the arm still to be sure that this happens.[2]

Shoulder Surgery:

After a shoulder surgery, you will have to wear an arm sling in order to prevent the muscles surrounding the shoulder from contracting too much, which will interrupt the healing process. For instance, after undergoing a cuff surgery, a hard contraction of the muscles around the shoulders will tear the affected muscle. In this situation, an arm sling would be of help.

Stroke:

As everyone knows, a stroke is one of the most serious injuries one can experience. It may lead to paralysis in the arm and if the shoulder is not moving around properly, it can become very painful. An arm sling can be helpful here by supporting the arm and preventing it from pulling uncomfortably at the shoulder.

As a general rule, any injury or surgery to the upper extremity would require you wear an arm sling as you heal.

While doing so, follow the below guidelines on how to wear an arm sling:

Properly Wearing an Arm Sling

As mentioned earlier, properly wearing an arm sling is important in order to prevent fluid and/or blood accumulation in your hands and wrist.[3]

So, how to wear a sling properly?

• Slowly pull your sling the arm and elbow so that it’s fitting snugly around your elbow. In this position, your hand will come to the very end of your arm sling. Ensure that the sling is not cutting in the wrist or hand.
• Go around the neck and grab your sling’s strap behind the elbow. Now, pull the strap around the neck back and insert it in the loop near the hand.
• Tighten the strap in such a way that the hand and forearm are raised above the elbow level. This will help prevent fluid and/or blood from accumulating in your hands or wrist.
• Fasten the sling’s strap with the provided Velcro fasteners.
• If your arm sling has a strap that goes around the back in order to keep your elbow closer to the body, you must reach behind and pull that strap around the back and fasten it near your hand. Ensure that it’s not too tight. You must be able to let two or three fingers between the strap and the body.

Note:

The sling must fit comfortably on your body and you should not feel tight or binding. Also, the sling should keep your shoulder, elbow, as well as the wrist in a relaxed position in such a way that you can continue your daily activities.

Avoid Bad Positioning of the Arm Sling

While wearing an arm sling, you must make sure that the shoulder sling is not too loose or too tight. Also, you must ensure that your arm is not hanging too low. While wearing an arm sling, you should not be exercising your neighboring muscles.[4]

Where to Buy an Arm Sling?

Buy the superior quality, adjustable arm sling by following this link here.

References:

1..https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-properly-wear-a-sling-on-your-arm-2696291

2..https://www.articlecube.com/arm-sling-reasons-wear-how-wear-and-how-choose

3..https://patienteducation.osumc.edu/Documents/shouldsling.pdf

4..https://www.newportortho.com/About-Us/Our-NOI-Blog/2016/December/Proper-Fitting-for-an-Arm-Sling.aspx

5..https://www.fracturecare.co.uk/general-advice/living-with-a-sling/