5 Ways To Treat Arm Injuries
It can be difficult to deal with an injury if you don’t know what to do. For instance, you may feel helpless and panic after an accident or fall that left your arm badly hurt. However, it’s critical to know how to deal with arm-related injuries head-on to prevent them from worsening.
Luckily, here are some ways you can treat arm injuries effectively and easily. Read on to learn more.
Table of Contents
1. Use A Splint
Some arm injuries are easier to address than others. For instance, you need to apply first aid treatment to soothe the skin and prevent infection if you see a wound on your arm. However, other problems like sprains or fractures are more difficult to manage. Nonetheless, you can try using a splint as a treatment method to address a possible arm injury.
If you hurt your arm or see someone get into an accident, you should first immobilize your hands and arms. You can do this by creating a makeshift splint using materials like a stick and some cloth. You can wrap the injured area tightly without cutting blood circulation to prevent any movement that may aggravate the situation. Also, it may help keep the pain under control until a doctor can check the gravity of the damage.
If you perform various physical activities or frequent places where injuries can happen, bringing a splint with you may be a good idea. For example, if you’re an athlete, you should have access to first aid items, especially if you perform risky or high-intensity movements. You can visit this recommended site if you wish to get your hands on a handy splint you can easily bring with you anytime anywhere.
2. Apply Sufficient Pressure
When dealing with an arm injury, knowing which treatment option you should use to prevent it from worsening is helpful.
For instance, if there’s bleeding, applying pressure on the wounded area can be an effective way to stop the bleeding. You can do this by using a clean cloth, putting it over the injury, and pressing your hands firmly on the injured body site. Be mindful of how much strength you apply to the wound, as overdoing it may be painful. Also, too much pressure may affect blood circulation and can be counterproductive.
Once the bleeding is under control, you can proceed to seek medical attention. This would help you determine whether there are severe problems like fractures.
3. Clean The Wound
Some people do various activities to follow a healthy way of living – they participate in sports or work out to maintain their physique. Yet performing different active hobbies may always have risks involved. This includes getting minor injuries like cuts or wounds.
For example, if you like biking outdoors, you may hurt your arm if you fall off your bike. If this happens and you have visible skin abrasions, you should know how to clean it thoroughly. Small foreign particles or bacteria may infect the wound and lead to more severe health complications if left unattended.
It’s said that the most convenient method of cleaning wounds is using water or saline solution. If you hurt your arm, you can place it under running water for a few minutes until the wound is clean. Then, you can gently pat it with a clean and dry cloth. Remember not to rub the affected area to avoid worsening the condition.
4. Keep Swelling Under Control
Swelling may happen when you hurt your arm. Case in point, if you apply too much pressure on your joints, they may get inflamed and swell. Sometimes, sprains or strains may also be accompanied by swelling. And it can be uncomfortable to move around when your arm is hurting. Fortunately, you can treat it using various methods to lessen the pain.
Try out the following. You can apply a cold compress on your arm to keep the swelling under control. You can do this a few times daily for the first few days until your condition improves. Plus, attempt to elevate your arm above your heart to help lessen the swelling.
5. Seek Physical Therapy
One common problem you may face after sustaining an arm injury is gaining mobility. After an accident, you may still feel that your arms are stiff and weak. Thus, it may be an excellent idea to seek treatment to help you regain your mobility and strength.
You can consult a physical therapist to see whether they can help you with your predicament. They may suggest various treatment options to help you use your arm normally after an injury. Case in point, they may recommend you to do simple movements to help you regain mobility and flexibility in your arms and joints.
Physical therapy sessions can be an effective treatment method as well to help you address arm pain caused by pinched nerves or muscle contusions. Here, licensed medical professionals subject patients to different treatment methods to help them regain mobility and independence.
Final Thoughts
Arm injuries can happen to anyone at any time. Henceforth, knowing the various treatment options to address them is helpful. This way, you can keep the injury under control and ensure you can return back to your routine in no time after healing and taking a rest.