Sling has slung. And it hurts.

September 23, 2009 1:40 PM

How do I wear a sling?

So it turns out I spoke too soon about nothing on my body being broken. A trip to the doc on Monday revealed a small fracture in my elbow, for which I am visiting an orthopedic surgeon on Monday. Between now and then, I have been instructed to wear a sling at all times.

So I got one, and between the instructions that came with it and a few websites I've checked, it looks like I've fitted and positioned it correctly. Problem is, it's KILLING my back. It's on my right arm, and my back hurts like crazy on my right side just at the bottom rib. Mostly when I sit, but also when I walk.

What am I doing wrong? I made sure my shoulders were square when I fitted it, and I try to sit/stand with good posture, and nothing helps. The only time it doesn't hurt is when I'm lying down. Any tips would be most appreciated.

posted by pdb to health & fitness (10 comments total)

Use the sling when you're walking around and rest your arm on a table/desk/chair arm/cushion when you're sitting down to give your back a rest.
posted by nowonmai at 1:51 PM on September 23

nowonmai - the problem with that is that I want to keep the arm in the sling all the time so I'm not tempted to use it. I know myself too well and if the arm is unslung I will try to use it, and my doctor said not to use it at all until I see the ortho.
posted by pdb at 2:03 PM on September 23

I've had broken bones in the elbow too and the sling was the worst part of it but as you say, it's far too easy to forget and start using the arm/hand. You could try wearing a glove or an arm warmer) on that hand to remind you not to use it while resting?
posted by ceri richard at 2:07 PM on September 23

When I broke my elbow, I borrowed a friend's sling that he got for a broken collarbone that had both a sling and a thing that wrapped the whole thing to my body so that my arm was stuck right against my body all the time. It was fantastic (and allowed me to go snowboarding again starting the day after breaking it - against doctor's orders. It turns out that it's really hard to snowboard with one arm and excruciating pain on every bump). Maybe you can find one of those.
posted by The World Famous at 2:19 PM on September 23

Just thought I'd mention that one big reason to wear a sling is also to send a message to people around you, including friends and loved ones, to be careful around your arm.
posted by alkupe at 2:34 PM on September 23

If you're worried about using it, get a pillow and put it on your desk so you can rest your arm from the sling and also remember to treat it gently. Or put a pillow between your body and arm, or rest an ice pack on it.

Also, make sure you're not hurt where your ribs are as well. There's often a lot of sudden twisting or unfamiliar muscle use as you sustain an injury and/or afterwards, so you have to watch out for that as well.

(I had a broken elbow several years ago, which I've referenced in multiple MeFi posts, so if you're running into other difficulties here and there, drop me a line.)
posted by Madamina at 2:48 PM on September 23 [1 favorite]

Not sure what method you went with... but I wear a baby in a sling and it absolutely kills your neck and back if you have the sling going over your shoulder like a seatbelt/messenger bag.

The trick with a baby sling (and maybe an arm sling) is to actually put the fabric over the full shoulder and down the arm a bit.

like this


NOT like this... that will kill after a while

So, if it's possible to widen the part tied around your neck... perhaps use a sarong instead of a triangular bandage... this might help.

Good luck possum, and heal well.
posted by taff at 4:07 PM on September 23

Nthing Madamina. Are you sure you aren't having pain from another undiagnosed injury from your accident? I don't think that a sling should be KILLING your back.

If the pain persists, you might want to phone your doctor's office.
posted by marsha56 at 7:04 PM on September 23

Taff - I'll try that method, I had been using the messenger-bag route so I'll see if the other way makes a difference.

marsha56 - yeah, I'm sure. Other than my arm and head, on which I landed, I suffered no other injuries. This pain didn't start until I started wearing the sling.
posted by pdb at 8:31 PM on September 23

I'm in a sling as well due to a recent car accident, and I've been having the same problem - back pain galore.

What taff said about wearing it lower on your shoulder absolutely helps. What also helps is making sure you're sitting up straight (it's easy to kind of lean to that side to relieve the pressure the sling puts on your neck, hence the back pain). I've also found that adjusting the sling so that my arm is more perpendicular to my torso rather than having straight across your chest helps (but be sure to keep it in the recommended position).

Heal quickly. Slings are a bitch.
posted by sephira at 5:44 AM on September 24