You probably heard it pretty early on in your life, especially if you were a rambunctious or athletic child who suffered an injury or two: the healing process requires rest, ice, compression, and elevation. The first item on that list is what shoulder immobilizers concern themselves with, but the history of the technique far predates your first childhood injury. Shoulder Immobilizer : This type of sling provides additional stability by immobilizing both the arm and shoulder. It consists of a standard arm sling with an additional strap that wraps around the body and holds the arm close to the chest. Shoulder immobilizers are often prescribed for patients with shoulder dislocations or fractures. The evidence of that development comes to us in the form of an ancient document from Egypt. The Edwin Smith Papyrus — named for the man who discovered it, not for an ancient Egyptian with a suspiciously Anglican name — is a long medical text that exemplifies the impressive amount of anatomical knowledge that the Egyptians had amassed. Most fractures of the proximal humerus can be treated without surgery if the bone fragments are not severely out of position (displaced). If surgery is necessary, it usually involves: Treatment of shoulder separations is based on the severity of the injury as well as the direction of the separation and the physical requirements of the patient.

Surgery is necessary when the fracture has broken through the skin, or the bone is severely out of place. More recently, there is some evidence that surgical repair of certain types of clavicle fractures can be beneficial. You may also be told not to use your arm or hand on the side that had surgery. For example, do not:Professional athletes and manual laborers are often treated with surgery, but the results can be unpredictable depending on the specific injury and activity demands after the operation. Shoulder Dislocations (Glenohumeral Joint) If you had rotator cuff surgery or other ligament or labral surgery, you need to be careful with your shoulder. Ask the surgeon what arm movements are safe to do. The physiotherapist will have shown you how to remove and apply your sling on the ward but below is a link if you need some assistance.

You have the right to help plan your care. Learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your healthcare providers to decide what care you want to receive. You always have the right to refuse treatment. The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you. The last variable you might want to consider is appearance. It may seem shallow at first to approach an implement like this with an eye toward fashion, but there is some wisdom here. Shoulder injuries are among the most frustrating for their pain level and ability to keep you out of action. Any advantage you can gain in the healing process — even if it’s one gained from feeling better about the way you look in your immobilizer — might make a positive difference. A Brief History Of Immobilization If you’ve ever had a serious shoulder injury, you’re well aware of how sensitive the healing process can be. You might not realize it until you’ve had pain in that area, but the shoulders are responsible for a tremendous amount of your upper body coordination, and any injury to that part of the body can be extremely painful, whether you’re inadvertently moving the shoulder itself or just sitting around breathing.

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If you’re in any similar situation, whether you’ve suffered a rotator cuff injury or you’ve found another way to damage your shoulder, you’re going to want to get your hands on a shoulder immobilizer. You’ll find it effective in a number of ways. If showering you can remove your arm from your sling and let it hang by your side. Do not lift your arm to assist with washing. To clean under your operated arm, lean to that side so there is a gap between your body and arm, do not lift your operated arm. Support and protection of the shoulder are important after injuries and surgery. Slings and immobilizers hold and safeguard the shoulder during healing. Those of you who have had shoulder surgery know that wearing a sling or immobilizer for several weeks is one of the least favorite parts of the recovery process. Getting the immobilizer on and off can be cumbersome, confusing, and may require some help. Wearing the sling feels unnatural, hot, and uncomfortable. However, use of a sling or shoulder immobilizer is a necessary evil for a good recovery! Mayo Clinic has published a number of videos to review use of slings and immobilizers. Links to these videos are provided below. Are all slings and immobilizers the same? The underlying associated soft-tissue injury (either to the rotator cuff or the capsulolabral complex) Acromioclavicular Joint (AC Joint) Adhesive capsulitis Arthritis Arthrodesis Arthroscopy Avascular necrosis Biceps Biceps rupture Biceps tear Biceps tenodesis Brachial plexus Bristow Calcific tendonitis clavicle Coracoid Coronoid fracture Elbow Elbow arthroscopy Elbow injury Elbow MCL Elbow pain Elbow prosthesis Elbow replacement Elbow stiffness Fracture Fracture dislocation Frozen shoulder Fusion Heterotopic ossification infection Instability Labrum Latarjet Lateral epicondylitis Long thoracic nerve lymphedema MDI Multidirectional instability Osteotomy Pectoralis major transfer Pectoralis minor Physical therapy posterior shoulder instability Proximal humerus fracture Radial head fracture Reverse shoulder Rheumatoid arthritis Rotator cuff Scapular dyskinesis Scapular winging Serratus anterior Shoulder Shoulder arthritis Shoulder arthroscopy Shoulder dislocation Shoulder instability Shoulder pain Shoulder prosthesis Shoulder replacement shoulder separation Shoulder stiffness Sling/Immobilizer Snapping Scapula Sport shoulder injuries Sternoclavicular joint subscapularis Suprascapular nerve Tendon transfers Tennis elbow Terrible triad Three-D printing Tommy John Weaver-Dunn Archives Archives Social

Other options on the market resemble traditional slings, but they may have additional means to keep the arm and shoulder still. Surgery typically involves fixation of the fracture with plates and screws or rods inside the bone. Discuss the risks and benefits of this operation with your surgeon. Proximal Humerus Fractures If you wear a shoulder immobilizer, you can loosen it only at the wrist strap and straighten your arm at your elbow. Be careful not to move your shoulder when you do this. Do not take the immobilizer off all the way unless the surgeon tells you it is OK.

When recovering from an injury or surgery, it is typically best to use your sling or immobilizer the majority of the day and night. However, the immobilizer does come off to get dressed, take a shower, and perform physical therapy exercises. In addition, whenever sitting in a nice chair or couch, it is perfectly reasonable to remove the immobilizer completely and let the forearm rest on your lap. On the contrary, when being active, especially outside, or when going to sleep, the shoulder immobilizer provides protection and should be used. The shoulder immobilizer also functions a sign to others: if you attend a family reunion or a gathering of friends with your immobilizer on, people will be more careful around you! Most common mistakes when using a shoulder sling or immobilizer Options like the DonJoy UltraSling IV, Flexguard Support Arm Sling, Ortho Depot Abduction Sling, Wonder Care Stabilizer, BraceAbility Pediatric 10S0101, and Velpeau Rotator Cuff Support are going to offer the highest level of stability for various reasons. For example, the Flexguard Support Arm Sling and Velpeau Rotator Cuff Support both have a large band that wraps around your arm and your mid-section, so the limb cannot move in any direction. Once you are allowed a little more movement, but still need support, you can simply forego the use of the band. The DonJoy UltraSling IV and Ortho Depot Abduction Sling also have a strap that goes around the mid-section, but it clips to the brace rather than enveloping your entire upper arm. They also hold your limb at a slight abduction, which not only do many find more comfortable, but has been shown to improve healing for various ailments. Additionally, they both have integrated therapy balls. The Wonder Care Stabilizer is interesting in that it has a minimalist design while still providing almost total immobilization. It secures to the arm at the wrist and just above the elbow and holds it tightly against the body. It is normal to have some swelling/ bruising around your shoulder and down your arm or chest. Often this is worse following trauma or more complicated surgeries. Bruising can be more common if you are medication to thin your blood. You can reduce swelling in your hand and elbow by ensuring you complete the exercises provided and ensuring your sling is applied correctly. If your sling is too loose your arm will hang downwards allowing swelling to gather in your fingers and hand. There will be some pain and discomfort after your surgery. You should take painkillers as prescribed, do not wait for your pain to worsen prior to taking pain relief. Ensure your sling is in correct position; your arm should rest in it across your stomach with your elbow at 90 degrees. Your arm should feel fully supported by the sling.