What do slings do

Top of the page. Your Care Instructions A sling supports your forearm. How can you care for yourself at home? To put a sling on by yourself without using your shoulder, place the sling on a table. Lower your forearm into the sling pocket. Then secure the strap s. If you are able, you can first strap the sling over your shoulder, then slip your forearm into the sling pocket. Make sure that the sling allows your arm and shoulder to relax. Follow your doctor's instructions for how often to: Take the sling off.

Do exercises to prevent problems such as frozen shoulder. If the fingers of the arm in the sling were not injured, wiggle them every now and then. This helps move the blood and fluids in the injured arm. Supporting a cast or splint In some cases, when a cast or splint is used below the elbow, a medical professional may suggest the use of a sling.

Surgeries After surgeries affecting the shoulder or arm, a medical professional will often recommend the use of a sling. Stroke After suffering a stroke, a person may experience lasting effects. Pacific Medical Supply Leave a Reply Want to join the discussion?

Feel free to contribute! If an injury needs a splint , apply the splint first and then apply the sling. Always check the person's skin color and pulse circulation after the injured body part has been splinted.

Loosen the splint and bandage if:. Injuries to nerves or blood vessels often occur with an arm injury. The health care provider should check circulation, movement, and feeling in the injured area often. The purpose of a splint is to prevent movement of the broken or dislocated bone. Splints reduce pain, and help prevent further damage to muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. Splinting also reduces the risk of a closed injury becoming an open injury an injury in which bone sticks through the skin.

Care for all wounds before applying a splint or sling. If you can see bone in the injured site, call your local emergency number such as or local hospital for advice. DO NOT try to realign an injured body part unless the skin looks pale or blue, or there is no pulse. Seek medical help if the person has a dislocation, broken bone, or severe bleeding. Also get medical help if you cannot completely immobilize the injury at the scene by yourself. There are two ways to splint an injury: Tie the injured part to a stiff object, such as rolled-up newspapers or magazines, a stick, or a cane.

You can use a rope, belt, or tape as a tie. Fasten it buddy-tape to some other part of the body. For example, wrap an injured arm to your chest. Your splint may be too tight if you have: Numbness or tingling. Increased pain.

Pale, cold skin below the splint. Increased swelling below where the splint is tied. Arm sling A sling is a bandage used to support an injured arm. To apply a sling: Support the arm above and below the site of the injury.

Place the triangular bandage under the injured arm and over the uninjured shoulder to form the sling.